


Taupe's Birthday Prompts 2015 (Hobbit)

by Taupefox59



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Birthday Prompts, Check individual chapters for additional tags, Gen, M/M, Tumblr Prompts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-05
Updated: 2015-12-30
Packaged: 2018-04-08 02:58:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 24,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4288167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Taupefox59/pseuds/Taupefox59
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Hobbit portion of my Birthday Prompt Fics from tumblr! Yay!</p><p>Chapter 1: Waterfall Diving<br/>Chapter 2: Airport Arrivals<br/>Chapter 3: Male Model (ZOOLANDER) AU<br/>Chapter 4: Road Rovers crossover (They're anthropomorphic crime-fighting dogs.)<br/>Chapter 5: Cop!Angels&Demons!Noir!Soulmate! AU<br/>Chapter 6: Fandom, Conventions and Love (un-related dial-up era AU)<br/>Chapter 7: Definitely Not Dog Problems (modern-era dog-sitter AU)<br/>Chapter 8: Me Vs. You (Dark!fic)<br/>Chapter 9: Love in the Library (Uni AU)<br/>Chapter 10: Big-Band AU<br/>Chapter 11: Fake Dating!<br/>Chapter 12: Birthday Gifts (Platonic, Brotherly fluff)<br/>Chapter 13: Try for the Stars (please check chapter warnings)<br/>Chapter 14: Time for Planting (Fiki X-men(ish) AU)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Waterfall Diving

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt fill for [tigerliliesandcherryblossoms](http://tigerliliesandcherryblossoms.tumblr.com/)
> 
> who gave me "Fiki diving off a waterfall into a lake".
> 
>  
> 
> This is un-beta'd, so if you catch anything, please let me know. Constructive criticism always appreciated!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt from [tigerliliesandcherryblossoms](http://tigerliliesandcherryblossoms.tumblr.com/) who asked for "diving off waterfall into lake for FiKi".

It wasn’t Kíli who discovered it. It was Fíli. Because Fíli loved the sound, and he loved the wet. And he loved the height.

Fíli once saw fish jumping *up* the waterfall, and decided he wanted to do it too. He got to almost the very top, before he slipped and fell.

And then it became his favourite thing to do.

  
  
  


A moment in childhood:

  
  


“Kíli, come on!” Fíli said, grabbing his brother’s hand and tugging.

“Fíli, I don’t want to! It’s too cold!” Kíli said, twisting out of Fíli’s hold and away.

Fíli paused for a moment and looked at his brother. It was cold. The wind that was blowing, drawing with it warning of the oncoming winter, and Kíli’s cheeks and nose were red from the chill of it. It had been a long day, and Kíli was still young. Fíli remembered that when he had been Kíli’s age he hadn’t been allowed out to help at all - but things were different now, with Thorin away. Their parents had both been at work all day, and with nothing else to do, the boys had gone hunting for firewood. (They’d found quite a bit of it too, and stacked it in the shelter next to their house so it could stay dry.) But Kíli had fallen earlier, and his clothes were sodden and muddy. He hadn’t complained about it once, but Fíli could see the shine in his eyes that meant his little brother was reaching the end of his endurance.

“Shall we head home?” Fíli asked, gently.

Kíli bit his lip and looked at his feet, but nodded, “Please, Fi. I want to go home.”

Fíli reached over and took Kíli’s hand again, “That’s okay. We can go tomorrow. You have to see it.” He leaned in close, so he could whisper into his brother’s ear, “I think it might be magic.”

Kíli gasped, eyes wide in wonder. “Real magic?”

Fíli nodded vigorously. “Just like in the stories!”

Kíli hesitated, brows coming together. “But we can go tomorrow, right?”

Fíli squeezed his hand. “Of course. We’ll go first thing after breakfast.”

 

They didn’t go the next day. A cool autumn day of trudging about in sodden clothes had landed Kíli in bed for the day, as a preventative measure. Dis had taken one look at her youngest, rubbing the gum from glassy eyes, and gotten suspicious. AFter a breakfast of near-constant sniffling, she decreed that he was to stay in bed for the rest of the day.

She also declared that Fíli still had to do his chores, because she knew her children well enough to know that Kíli would never get any sleep if Fíli was around and awake.

 

Fíli spent the day wandering around the forests near the house. For the first part of the day, he had been diligent in his tasks, collecting firewood, and making note of anywhere he found any bushes that had any late berries on them, or trees that had not yet been stripped of their fruit. But his wanderings brought him closer and closer to the waterfall - the place where he’d seen the magic.

He made his way up the river and to the cliffs,  to the mist-filled pools where the water poured down from above. Fíli had always thought that the river looked alive; swirling and shifting and shimmering in the sunlight, but this was something entirely different. The water was roiling with the thick,  silvered backs of fish. These weren’t like the minnow that he and Kíli caught during the long, hot afternoons of summer. These were huge creatures, some of them were probably as long as Kíli was tall, with long, hooked mouths.

The fish were packed together, churning the water into foam as they swam against the current. There were so many of them, the river almost looked like a solid mass of scales. Fíli had a thought that maybe if he was light enough, if he was fast enough, maybe he could walk across and never get wet, the fish were so plentiful.

But that was the magic.

 

The magic was the waterfall itself.

 

The water poured down, thundering as it always did. The fish didn’t seem to feel it though. The fish were climbing the waterfall. They were leaping up, defying gravity, defying the relentless push of water, defying any kind of sense that Fíli had ever seen work in the world.

 

He found a rock that was dry enough he wouldn’t catch a chill, and he watched until the sun began to set. And as he watched, Fíli began to wonder. If a fish could climb a waterfall, then surely a dwarf could as well?

  
  
  
  


Ten Years Later:

 

“We climb to the top, jump down, climb back up. Winner gets the hunt.” Fíli said, smoothly stripping off his shirt in preparation for the race.

“Loser forages? Fíli, that’s not fair. You always win.” Kíli said, the pout obvious in his voice even as he took his shirt off to match his brother.

Fíli just grinned, “Then you must learn to get faster, dear brother.”

Kíli huffed, “We can’t all learn to be fish, Fíli.”

“You’re right!” Fíli replied brightly, “because fish have to learn on their own, and you had someone to teach you!”

Kíli gave a light shove at the jibe, “I’ll get there.”

Fíli shoved back but smiled. “You will. But not yet!” and with that, Fíli dove into the river.

 

It had become a game between them. Find a way up the slippery, wet rock, to the top of the waterfall, dive back into the pool, and climb back to the top.

It wasn’t always a race. Sometimes it for the joy of movement, the challenge of the climb, the exhilaration of the fall.

But today, the stakes were high.

 

Fíli’s hands were small and sure, finding secure handholds even in the dangerously slick moss-covered rocks. He knew how to point his toes and jam his feet into crevices that were never meant to hold the weight of a dwarf, but did.

Kíli had a longer reach, but still lacked the strength to maintain a steady speed of motion as he picked his way up the face of the cliff. The race was getting closer every year though. Kíli thought that maybe in a few years he might actually be able beat his brother. Probably.

 

Fíli reached the top first, and hauled himself over the ledge. He took a moment to rub in his current position in the lead, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, looking across the valley that had been carved by the river.

It truly was a beautiful sight.

But Kíli was gaining fast, so Fíli curtailed his gloating. He stepped up to the very edge of the waterfall. The pull of the water around his feet was pounding and strong. Fíli jumped.

It was important to dive as far away from the cliff as possible, so as not to hit any of the protruding rocks on the way down, but the fall. Oh, the fall. It was the most beautiful thing that Fíli had ever experienced. The cold mist condensing in his face as he flew through clouds of fog, the air pulling at his hair, his clothes; and then the sudden crush of cold water when he hit the lagoon at the bottom.

He popped back up, gasping for air, whooping in euphoria. Here he did have a moment to take his time, because Kíli had to wait until he was back on the cliffside to jump. (They’d figured that out the hard way. But they only had to land on each other once before they made the rule that only one person could jump at a time.)

Splashing in the cool, clear water, Fíli slowly made his way back to the cliff. When he reached the rock wall of the waterfall, he tilted his head up and called out the all clear sign for Kíli.

A few seconds later, Kíli landed in the water. Fíli was just barely far enough out of the water to not get hit by the waves generated from the impact.

Fíli waited until he could hear Kíli swimming towards the cliff before taunting from his position on the cliff. “You’d better hurry up!”

“Best two out of three!” Kíli shot back.

“You’ll still lose!”

“Is that a no?”

“No way! Best two out of three. You’re on!”


	2. Airport Arrivals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For [Milliegirl20](http://milliegirl20.tumblr.com/) who gave me a prompt of "Fíli / Kíli Fíli coming home after being gone for 3 weeks on a business trip and Kíli picking him up at the airport."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rated G, Durincest

 

It had been many long weeks - eleven and a half of them, not that Kíli had been counting - and now, finally, _finally_ , Fíli was coming home. It had been important for Fíli to leave - Thorin had just barely managed to save Erebor Inc. form a hostile takeover by Smaug, only for one of their factories to be targeted by ORC terrorist organization.

Thorin had managed to save their company with clever thinking, a few bitter alliances, and sheer, utter tenacity. Though the company managed to stay intact, it was certainly ragged at the edges, and stockholders were reasonably worried about further investments. Thorin, for being driven, business-minded individual, had never learned how to make nice with the people; he was undeniably charismatic, yet completely devoid of charm. So, it had fallen to Fíli to make the rounds to sooth fears and boost morale. He was the perfect one for it, golden hair and easy grin belying a sharp mind and a tendency to wait and listen. Fíli’s instincts were to observe first; to watch and learn before making any moves, and it was a tactic that worked well on his mission. Fíli would go to a site, spend the first days learning the way that each place differed from the others, learning who to talk to, what to say, and then delivered, every time.

Thorin was the one they followed, but Fíli was the one they spoke to.

 

Unfortunately, that meant that Fíli had been away, been learning, listening, healing the wounds of the company - and Kíli had been left behind.

Perhaps that was an unkind way to think of it, Kíli mused, as he bounced on his feet to keep off the chill of the over-air-conditioned climate of the baggage claim at the arrivals gate. But he wasn’t feeling very kind towards the situation at the moment. At first, he had been filled with pride; Fíli was truly stepping into his role as second-in-command. He was laying the framework for when he would take over the company, and he was doing good work. But there was only so long that Kíli could maintain his feelings of compersion in the face of the gaping Fíli-shaped hole that had been left in his life. The pride and the happiness had begun to tarnish somewhere around the first fortnight, when Kíli had finally managed to stop reaching for his mobile every time he had a thought to share with his brother. Fíli had a busy schedule, and they were time zones apart. The first weeks, Kíli would have an entire text written out before he’d remember. Sometimes he’d check the time, see if he could send it anyway, but soon enough it became an aborted motion. He would reach for his pocket, then remember.

That was when the melancholy had set in. The last thing that Kíli ever wanted to do was hold his brother back - Fíli was _amazing_. Kíli was convinced that Fíli would be the best thing that had ever happened to Erebor.

But Kíli also knew that Fíli was the best thing that had ever happened to _him_ , first as brothers- steadfast, always side by side, then as lovers, when they realized that the way their fingers fit together was for more than the adventures of childhood, when they realized that the balance they had learned over their lives left them fitting together perfectly as they left the shelter of their parents’ home and moved to face the world as adults. They had learned that the silent language they had shared with each other held a thousand different words for ‘I love you’. Some were for mornings when coffee appeared on the bedside table, unasked for. Some were for nights when cries of passion split the air, for those impossible moments when they consumed each other, entwined, beginning and ending, sharing breath, soul and body.

It wasn’t the first time that their lives had drawn them apart, and Kíli was sure it wouldn’t be the last, but it ached in a way that he deny. It was made worse by the circumstances; usually, they were parted by choice, both of them following their own passions, stepping away from each other to attain self-fulfillment, always secure in the knowledge that the other would be there, steady and supportive, if ever needed. This time, emergency had called Fíli away, and Kíli hadn’t been able to follow.

He was in his last year of university, and he couldn’t afford to take off for an unknown number of weeks to address the issues Erebor was dealing with. So Kíli had stayed home and attended classes and worked on his thesis.

The melancholy of the first month had faded into a weary upset, that was tinged with anger. Kíli had fought the anger with everything he had, because he wasn’t angry with Fíli for leaving, he wasn’t. He was angry that Fíli wasn’t there, maybe, but that just made him angry at himself, because Fíli had been so excited for the opportunity, and Kíli knew he was doing good work, and he wasn’t willing to be angry at the person he loved because they were off doing what they loved. So it all just circled back around and left Kíli frustrated with himself and the situation (and even a bit with Fíli, as much as he tried not to be).

That was when Kíli started avoiding the phone calls and the requests for video chats. His head was full of things that weren’t worth saying, and Fíli was always so good at knowing when Kíli was holding things back. He threw himself into his schoolwork with bitter singularity, attempting to drown out the hollow loneliness that was echoing in the spaces that were usually filled with Fíli. He poured himself into projects, filling his days with work and study, getting up early and refusing to stop until the only energy he had left was to toe his shoes off and crawl into bed. It was unsustainable, and Kíli knew it, but it didn’t matter. He just needed to burn through the days that were left until Fíli came back.

After a few weeks though, the anger faded too (and, thankfully, Kíli’s manic scheduling scaled back to something that didn’t leave him glassy-eyed and light headed from exhaustion and overwork). What was left was a tender ache. It was sealed away with something eggshell thin, and tears would spring to his eyes if he thought about it too long, but it was stable, and sturdy enough to hold up to the weight of the distance that was spanning between them.

Kíli started texting again. Not so often, anymore, not every thought he wanted to share; just the precious ones. The important ones. When he would stumble, and find something inside him had shifted, and lodged to press against the achey hollow in his chest; those were the times when he would pull out his mobile. He would type a thought, and leave it unsent, slowly coming back to it over the rest of the day, editing out the bits that didn’t actually need to be sent.

(Fíli had a string of texts from Kíli, sent at all hours, usually two or three days apart. They all said exactly the same thing: I love you.)

Kíli remembered how to smile, how to laugh, how to play without being struck down by guilt or loneliness. He passed his midterms, finished the first trials of his thesis. He remembered how to focus on his own life; on his own goals, and find the joy in his own pursuits.

When Kíli had gotten the email from Fíli with a subject line of ‘COMING HOME’ that was filled with flight details, it hadn’t been the initial rush of joy that he’d been expecting.

Instead, it was as if something had pierced through his eggshell armour, a needle that slid between his lungs and into his heart. It was sweet, aching sadness, and some kind of twisting happiness that led to him clenching his fist until red crescents appeared in his palms, and tears leaked unbidden from his eyes.

 

But now, here, standing next to the carousel that would deliver the luggage from Fíli’s flight, any thought of sadness had been driven away, until all that was left was fizzing giddiness. It was the kind of excitement reached in and expanded, leaving Kíli feeling like he could take one breath and it would be enough to last for a lifetime.  He couldn’t stop smiling, couldn’t stop moving - _Fíli was coming home_. Just, just in minutes, in moments, and none of it would matter anymore. It would be back to how they were meant to be; the two of them, side by side, filling in each other’s missing parts.

 

The alarm on the carousel sounded; harsh and grating, and the metal slats began to move. People started to trickle through the doorway leading from customs. As much as he wanted to rush the doors, Kíli stayed back, to have a better view. He wasn’t sure which way Fíli would be coming from, and having a _single second_ apart when they could have been together was absolutely unacceptable.

 

Then, Kíli spotted the familiar blond head of his brother. Fíli was comfortable clothes; jeans bleached from washing, threadbare trainers and layers of shirts. He had his leather satchel slung across his chest.

Kíli ran for him. “Fi!”

Fíli’s head shot up, and his smile was brilliant. “Kíli!” he called back, and jogged forward. They met in a bone-crushing hug. Kíli’s eyes were sparkling with excitement, and Fíli’s were glassy from jet-lagged exhaustion, but they wore matching smiles. Kíli finally pulled back enough to press their foreheads together.

“I love you.” he said softly, wishing he had better words, wishing that there was something else he could say to encompass the _biggness_ of the feelings he had.

Fíli laid a palm on the back of Kíli’s neck and kissed him softly. “I love you too.”

“I love you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've still got some slots open for prompts! So, if you'd like me to write you something, come let me know at [my tumblr](http://vaguetauperamblings.tumblr.com/)!


	3. The Walk-Off

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Baneofdurin](http://baneofdurin.tumblr.com/) prompted 'A Male-Model AU' but in *my* head 'male-model' can *only* mean Zoolander.
> 
> So. Fili is Zoolander. Kili is Hansel. 
> 
> This is the walk-off. ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got a little bit eaten by life for a while there, but I'm back on the horse!
> 
> Special thanks to [Anathema-Cat](http://http://anathema-cat.tumblr.com//) for helping me find the perfect pic. ;)
> 
> Un-beta'd, so if you catch anything, please let me know!
> 
> (Also, it's been a long time since I've seen Zoolander.)

It wasn’t particularly fair to call Fíli Durin a male model, because that didn’t really describe what he actually was. What Fíli Durin was could be far more aptly described as being _the_ male model. Of the year. For the past twelve years running.

Perhaps it had been coming for a while. Modeling was a fickle business at best, and everyone in the game was fighting an inevitable battle with time; losing jobs to every deepening wrinkle. Fíli Durin, however, had never expected to be unseated from his throne while (at least _he_ thought) he was still in his prime.

He certainly didn’t expect his usurper to be none other than the elf-loving upstart _Kíli Dísson._ With his stupid, unbraided hair, and his completely un-dwarven looks, and his un-dwarven friends, and he was dating an elf for Mahal’s sake!

How could he, Fíli Durin, have lost to that?!?!?

 

Fíli hadn’t _meant_ to run into the usurper at the after-party. No, Fíli had been meaning to avoid the cretin completely. But then, there was bump, and a splash, and the next thing Fíli knew, there was a dark stain blooming on the brilliant emerald on his silk shirt, and Kíli Dísson was _going down_.

 

Kíli looked up, startled. He’d simply been enjoying himself, celebrating with his friends. He hadn’t meant to trip, and he certainly hadn’t meant to spill his wine - and he absolutely, most definitely had never meant to spill his wine on the _Fíli Durin_.

 

The Fíli Durin who had single-handedly changed the face of male modeling, with his gleaming golden hair, the nouveau mix of untamed waves blending with the Dwarf traditions of braids. Not to mention the braided mustache - oh the braided mustache. )The hours that Kíli had spent in envy of those golden plaits…) The Fíli Durin who was responsible for some of the most iconic looks in the history of fashion - [Dwarfish Steel](http://pdl.warnerbros.com/wbmovies/thehobbit/app/thcc_fili_01.jpg) (majestic, intense, cold fire burning in those blue eyes, that dwarven steadiness) [Hidden Dagger ](http://pdl.warnerbros.com/wbmovies/thehobbit/app/thcc_fili_01.jpg)(a softer look, teasing, but with just that hint of smug at the edges of it, never quite revealing what the world wanted to see.) [Craft-Wed ](http://pdl.warnerbros.com/wbmovies/thehobbit/app/thcc_fili_01.jpg)(this was the look for Kíli. Banked lust and intensity, a look that hinted at the lion behind that golden mane...), - he was rumoured to be unveiling a new look soon, Kíli knew from reliable sources that it was going to be called ‘Mithril’ and the thought of it made anticipation coil in Kíli’s gut.

 

Kíli had often dreamed of bumping into the man who was responsible for his own modeling career. So often he had entertained daydreams of them, maybe running into each other for coffee, and realizing they had so much in common; maybe enough for them to put a shoot together. The thought of getting to work with _Fíli Durin_ , it had led Kíli to many of the decisions that had gotten him to this night: this night where he was celebrating with an oversized glass of wine in one hand, and his golden statue in the other. ‘Male Model of the Year’.

 

Kíli had never expected for the wrong move to end up in wine staining the flawless jewel-bright green of Fíli’s shirt. He’d never expected to meet those blue eyes in person and only see cold fire burning behind them.

 

“Kíli Dísson.” Fíli said, and his voice was cold enough to shatter even the best of moods.

Still, Kíli tried to make the best of it. “Hey, I’m so sorry! I didn’t see you there-” and as soon as the words were out of his mouth, he knew they were the wrong ones. If it were possible, the air around them seemed to get colder with the intensity of Fíli’s anger.

“You didn’t see me?” Fíli asked. “A likely story.”

“No, I didn’t-”

“Couldn’t wait for the chance to step on me in person? And now you’re so tall that you pretend not to see me?”

That was enough to spark Kíli’s anger. “You think I’m too tall to be a dwarvish model?”

“Maybe dwarfs aren’t your target audience. You certainly don’t have the beard for it.”

 

And then it was war. Everyone there would later swear they said it in unison:

 

“WALK OFF!!!”

 

The crowd cleared in seconds, with wide, white platforms appearing out of seemingly nowhere to be set up in that familiar T-shape of a catwalk. Cameras were flashing like strobe lights. From out of the commotion, Galadriel appeared. She stood in the center of the catwalk and commanded everyone with the sheer intensity of her eyes alone.

“I will judge.” she said.

And the walk-off began.

 

Kíli won the coin toss, and was the first to strut down the catwalk. He kept his chin low, but his eyes up, knowing it made him look dark and predatory. He called this look ‘the Lion’ (which totally _wasn’t_ an homage to Fíli! It wasn’t!). His walk was liquid and smooth. He spun at the end of the catwalk, and made sure toss his head, letting his wild dark hair fly around his head. He paused for a moment then, raising one eyebrow and letting his face become a sultry glower. He held it for a beat, turned again, and slunk back down the catwalk.

Fíli watched from off the wings, and he was seething. Kíli thought he could pull of a better cat on the catwalk? Fíli might have the traditional stocky build of dwarfs, but he was the Lion! Kíli should know better than to encroach on his territory.

Kíli stepped off the platform.

Galadrial stepped to center, face inscrutable as always. “Kíli Dísson.” She said, “First walk. 5.3.”

5.3. Fíli smirked to himself. He could top that without even trying. He tossed his hair back, letting it fall in a shower of gold over his shoulders. He kept his head up and his shoulders back. Fíli Durin did not _slink_ anywhere. Fíli Durin was the king of this pride, and he knew it. Fíli walked down the catwalk, with an easy sway to his hips, sauntering down the path with the confidence of a king. He got to the end and spun, letting the beads from his braided mustache bounce against his chin. He smirked just enough that the audience got a hint of dimple before finishing the turn and walking back down the catwalk.

Take _that_ , Kíli!

 

Galadriel got back on the stage when Fíli had stepped off. “Fíli Durin, first walk. 6.2.”

  
  


The competition was ferocious, with necklines dipping continually lower and trousers getting steadily tighter, and the numbers being given out seemed to get closer and closer together. Both models were sweating at this point, taking moments any moment off the catwalk to be accosted by friends and managers. Fíli sat in his corner, with several hands at work in his hair, frantically re-braiding anything with even the slightest hint of frizz to it. Kíli sat in his corner, holding hands with Tauriel who was leading him through Elvish breathing exercises.

The crowd was silent as Galadriel took the stage for the final time.

“The result of the walk-off is:” Galadriel paused, allowing the tension to fill the room, “A perfect tie.”

The crowd gasped as one. A walk-off _couldn’t_ end in a tie.

“As winner of the original coin toss, Kíli Dísson is allowed to choose the manner of tie-breaker.” Galadriel said. She lifted a graceful hand towards Kíli’s corner.

Kíli nodded. This had become more than a walk-off. This had become a grudge-match of mythic proportions. It might be playing dirty, but Kíli was determined to win.

 

He was about to open his mouth and state his challenge, when a wind kicked up out of nowhere. Hats went flying and skirts were blown. Perfectly coiffed hair was tugged out of arrangement.

Gandalf the Grey walked in.

 

“The walk-off is over!” He declared, and shadows seemed to flare around him at the announcement. “I have need for our models.”

Just like that, the crowd disbanded. The hands disappeared from Fíli’s hair. The flash of cameras stopped. The catwalk was dismantled.

The next thing that Fíli and Kíli knew, they were seated next to each other, and Gandalf stood in front of them both.

“You must put this behind you.” Gandalf said, and both models listened. Gandalf was strange- a reclusive designer, but everyone knew better than to question what he said. His lines were some of the strangest, most outlandish creations to ever grace a catwalk, but they had all been milestones of fashion. There wasn’t a word strong enough to explain the weight of his influence on the trends of the catwalk.

“I need you both for this. You must work together.”

Fíli and Kíli looked at each other, but didn’t say anything.

“I need you to infiltrate Smaug’s new fashion line.”

Fíli frowned and Kíli gasped. Smaug had a reputation - and not a good one. His work was impeccable, creative and cutting edge. But models who worked for Smaug had a notoriously limited lifespan. Literally.

“We know he’s up to something. I need you two to figure out what it is. You will be the key to this. I am sure of it.”

Fíli stared out at the night sky, feeling like he was somehow on the edge of something very important. “And where there’s a key, there must be a lock…” he mused.

Gandalf let out a sigh, that sounded oddly pained. Fíli looked up in curiosity at the noise. Gandalf just pinched the bridge of his nose and said “Yes, Fíli. Because where there is a key, there must be a lock…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, feel free to drop by [my tumblr](http://vaguetauperamblings.tumblr.com/)!


	4. Of Dogs and Dating. (Or just Dogs Dating.)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a crossover with the rather obscure, short-lived TV show 'Road Rovers'.
> 
> If you've never heard of it before, essentially a bunch of dogs get turned into...humanoid dogs and together, they fight crime!
> 
> This is for the prompt from My_Trex_has_fleas who asked for "dog park unrelated Fíli/Kíli where they strike up a flirtation :D and then maybe go on a date, with their dogs of course."
> 
> This is...not really quite you asked for darling. :P

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so, in this one the boys are all anthropomorphic dogs. If you want a little bit of background, the opening to the show Road Rovers can be found[here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nEf9kgelW4).
> 
> Fili is Hunter, the golden lab, and Kili is Colleen the Collie.
> 
> (Bombur is Shep, the cowardly sheep dog.)

 

 

 

 

 

Fili (as a dog) would look something like this:

(from <http://beefeaters.com/blog/article/april-2013-winners>)

Kili (as a dog) looks something like this:  
 

(from <http://colliefan.weebly.com/history.html>)

 

 

Watching Kíli fight was one of Fíli’s most favourite things. (Other things on the list of ‘Fíli’s Favourite Things’ were, in no particular order: Getting to fetch frisbees, chasing cats, chasing squirrels, ~~chasing Kíli~~ , having thumbs, nights off with The Pack, and finally getting to eat hamburgers.) Kíli was a site in battle, long dark hair, seeming to shimmer in the light of the stars. Kíli cut and spun, darting in with a well-placed jab, and ducking out before he could ever get hit by the slow, lumbering orcs. He was light on his feet, beautiful, powerful, liquid motion.

 

Fíli was so busy staring that at Kíli, that he didn’t even notice the shining metal disk that was on a direct path with his head.

 

When Fíli woke up later, it was to the the soft, high pitch whine that meant distress in the pack. Fíli went into overdrive at the sound of it, trying to push past the gauzy haze that had filled his brain. The second thing he picked up on was the feeling of Kíli’s tongue pulling against the soft fur of his muzzle. He could feel the weight of Kíli’s paw on his shoulder.

 

“Mmmnnnn. Kee?” Fíli tried to talk, and was surprised when his words came out slurring and blurred.

 

The whining stopped and so did the tongue. That wasn’t what Fíli wanted. He wanted Kíli that close when he woke up all the time. Fíli finally managed to open his eyes.

 

“YOU!”  Kíli’s voice was downright thunderous.

 

Fíli had a brief moment to appreciate that he was lying down, so it wouldn’t be obvious that his tail was trying to tuck itself between his legs.

 

“What were you thinking?” Kíli’s eyes were cold and hard with anger, but Fíli knew better.

 

The one thing that Kíli hated most was being afraid; it was what had driven him to hand-to-hand combat in the first place. Kíli had tried to explain it once, and Fíli thought he mostly understood it. There was no time to think in the middle of the fray. When every thought had to be about where to move and when to move, and where to strike to take down an opponent while still protecting yourself and your objectives - there was no time for fear. There was no fear in the space between punching and ducking. It was just action and movement.

 

“You nearly got yourself killed!”

 

Fíli put on the best smile he could muster. “But I didn’t?”

 

Kíli glared and stalked off, growling, low and deep.

 

Fíli winced. He would probably be in trouble for a little while then.

  
  


Bombur walked over, whining quietly the entire time, and hauled Fíli back to his feet.

 

“Bombur, buddy, I’m really okay.” Fíli said. The world had spun a bit when he’d gotten upright, but it wasn’t anything terrible. He’d be fine in  a few hours, tops.

 

Bombur nudged him with his giant, fur-covered hands, and let out another questioning noise.

 

Fíli looked to where Kíli had stalked off and headed back to HQ. “Nah, he’ll be fine too. He just needs some time to cool down.”

 

Bombur shook his shaggy, russet head and let out a huff.

 

“Yeah.” Fíli said with a sigh, “I know.”

  
  


IIIIIII

  
  


The knock on Kíli’s door later that evening was only somewhat unexpected. Kíli hesitated. He wasn’t entirely sure that he wanted to talk to Fíli yet. The anger was still there in his chest, burning warm and steady. He wasn’t sure if he was ready to let it go yet, and Kíli knew that if he let Fíli in, if he let Fíli talk at all, the heat for the anger would fade.

 

Because the heat of his anger was eclipsed by the heat of his other feelings. For all that Kíli could pretend to be confident in their interactions, he wasn’t sure he was brave enough to bring up...that.

 

It was easier to be angry.

 

Kíli let the silence hang.

 

Fíli knocked again.

 

Kíli sighed. He wasn’t willing to leave Fíli standing out in the hallway. If Fíli wanted to talk, so be it.

 

“Come in.” Kíli said.

 

Fíli pushed the door open slowly, stepped in and closed the door behind.. He’d been given permission to enter, but Kíli had sounded far from enthusiastic.

 

“You were pretty upset with me earlier.”

 

“You were taken down by a fucking frisbee.” Kíli said, “You! Were taken down by a frisbee! Explain to me where your head was at that could possibly allow for that to happen.”

 

Fíli licked his lips. He wanted to tell the truth. He wanted to tell Kíli - everything. Always, actually. Whenever anything happened, Fíli found that his first response was a desire to share it with Kíli. Find ways to make the beautiful collie laugh. Kíli was the one that Fíli wanted when he wanted to shut out the entire world. There was somehow still space for Kíli. When all Fíli wanted was to be alone, he still wanted Kíli by his side.

 

He thought that maybe Kíli might have similar feelings, but Fíli hadn’t yet had the opportunity to find out for sure. Perhaps this was finally the time.

 

“You.” Fíli finally said.

 

Kíli waited, assuming that Fíli had more to say, but the silence simply stretched. Then, Kíli realized that Fíli had said all he was going to. “What?”

 

“You.” Fíli repeated.

 

Kíli stared, a bit confused by the non-sequitur response, but also struggling to maintain the bubbling hope that had ignited within him. “Me?”

 

Fíli shrugged. “I might have gotten a bit distracted watching you.”

 

“You don’t get to be distracted by me when we’re fighting! You’ll end up getting yourself killed.”

 

Fíli grinned, slowly. “Well, you might just have to distract me at a different time then, for the best interests of everyone involved.”

 

Kíli stared, again caught off-guard. “What?”

 

“Maybe you should distract me of Friday night? Starting at around, seven or so?”

 

“Fíli.” Kíli said, unable to help the smile that was tugging at his mouth, “That sounds suspiciously like a date.”

 

“I always knew you were a clever one.” Fíli said. “So...is that a yes?”

 

Kíli grinned, and Fíli thought that it was a better sight than an entire pile of chew toys.

 

“Yes.”

  
  
  


 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, the lovely, beautiful soul who gave me the original prompt - [My_Trex_has_fleas](http://archiveofourown.org/users/My_Trex_has_fleas/pseuds/My_Trex_has_fleas) \- is a truly incredible author, and if you've not read any of her work, it's absolutely worth your time to check out.
> 
> I know that this is...really only barely recognizable as what you asked for, but, whatever. :P You've had to sit through nearly a month of me whinging about how I haven't managed to get this one right. ...so it's almost like two gifts this way. Now I'll complain about something else! ;) You're a fucking hero. <3 
> 
> Also, if you're on tumblr, I do a lot of mixtapes, and post things and paddle happily in the Darkhawk Canoe. [Feel free to come say hi!](http://vaguetauperamblings.tumblr.com/)


	5. An Angel Walked Into My Office

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a Noir!Angels & Demoons!Cops!Soulmate!AU
> 
> Fili is a demon and a detective, and one day, a certain angel ends up at his desk...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the prompt from [Wetherebelskies](http://wetherebelskies.tumblr.com/): "Fiki Crime! Angel/Demon AU - The angel is the criminal. The demon is a cop. :DD"
> 
>  
> 
> This was *so* much fun. Thanks, darling!

  
  


I took a drag from my electronic cigarette, and blew it out slow. I missed my pipe, but smoking had been banned for a few years. At least with the e-cig I could still feel smoke against my teeth. It wasn’t the same It wasn’t the same sweet, rich complexity of tobacco, but it was better than nothing. It tasted like chlorine and air freshener and fake vanilla, but I’d gotten used to it.

The desk in my office is huge and dark. It was probably meant to look intimidating, but it only manages to look mass-produced and a little bit cheap. The black finish wearing off on the corners, the sandy colour of the particle board beneath starting to show through. The surface of it was covered in stacks of paperwork, and wire bins to help keep all of said paperwork sorted. There was a flat-screen monitor with a screen covered in dust and fingerprints. There was a phone, with a scattering of mostly-used notepads next to it, and a jar filled with pens, most of which were sporting the logo for some bank or mid-rate hotel chain.

My chair, however, was one of the best in the precinct. It still had both armrests, all of its wheels, and it didn’t even squeak when I shifted in it. Probably because I wasn’t a part of the chair-stealing that routinely took place among the cubicles. No, I was safely removed from that threat to the quality of my furniture by virtue of having the dubious honour of a name-plate on the corner office.

It wasn’t because I was the most senior officer on the force - far from it - but I had a knack for the difficult cases. Not that it was really fair to anyone, but it had earned me a wall full of medals for exemplary duty over the short time I’d been with the force. I was also one of the few who didn’t have a partner. I was happy to work with anyone on the force whenever it was necessary - they were all good people and good cops- but I tried to avoid it whenever I could. The cases that got sent to me had a tendency to end up with more in the way of magic, swords, and bolts of lightning than what most of the force was used to.

I have to admit that I tried to keep them out of it as much as possible. It was dangerous. And when humans sign up to do police work, they aren’t signing up for the kind of battles that follow in the wake of demonic power-plays.

I wanted to keep them safe. I wanted to keep everyone safe. That was why I had gotten into law enforcement anyway. I knew that I was lucky. The Erebor crew - my crew. I knew them all. There were no questions asked between us; no loyalty questioned. It had been a few years since we’d managed to take down Smaug’s entire cartel, but it had forged a bond between us all. No one had truly come out unscathed, but we made it out alive, and that was more than could be said for Smaug. It was a win, even if it hadn’t been a clean one.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

  
  


The smell of trouble cut through the background of dust, graphite and aging vinyl wallpaper. Bleach and cordite and sunlight; I knew the scent well and never meant good things, least of all for me. An angel was in the building, and the kind I tried hardest to avoid.

There was nothing wrong with angels of the Christian varieties, in theory. I’m sure there are plenty of them out there, and they probably hang out in the suburbs and throw lovely garden parties. I’m sure they make the best brownies at the bake sale and always follow the fucking speed limit, but they never seem to understand what it means to be crossed.

I’ve never met a Christian angel who knew how to fight, no matter what flavour they are, especially not this close to the ‘bible belt’. The angels who are here, they’re so juiced on belief, they bend realities without even thinking about it. There are no consequences for them. They step without thinking because they know they’ll never fall.

 

Until they do.

 

And I’ve seen more than enough of that for any eternity that I may exist for.

 

The door opened. It was Dwalin and Dori flanking the man who must have been the angel. I don’t know if he struggled when they brought him in, but the fact that it was those two meant that the the man was strong - of course he was. He had long, curling dark hair that hung down to his shoulders and looked like it hadn’t quite been washed recently. He was more tan that what I usually saw this time of year in Chicago, when most people had the good sense to be wearing enough layers to keep out the wind. His clothing was worn, but it was the kind of quality fabric that could take wear without falling to pieces. His coat looked like it was leather that had once been carefully cared for, only now starting to scuff across the shoulders. There was enough scruff on him to show that he could grow a beard if given enough time, but he hadn’t reached that point yet. The whites of his eyes were clear and bright, and contrasted sharply with the dark of his irises. I couldn’t tell if they were brown or hazel in the dim lighting of my office.

 

“Fili.” Dwalin said, “This one seems like one of yours.”

I took another drag on my fake cigarette and blew it out. I nodded. “Yeah. I’ll take this one.”

Dori and Dwalin looked at each other, and let go of the man. One of them pushed him forward into my office and they closed the door behind them as they walked out.

They knew they didn’t need to worry about me.

 

The Angel, though, he stared at me down his aquiline nose, heavy brow furrowed. He was sizing me up. I leaned back in my chair. He could stare me down all he wanted. I knew who I was and I’m hardly intimidated by some Angel who’s made it to this Earth but never had to prove anything.

I’ve fought my battles and I’ve earned my scars. He can see whatever he likes in that.

 

His eyes narrowed. “You’re a demon.”

“Yes.” I said. I was hardly about to hide that.

“And you’re a fucking cop!” he spat, “I will get you out if it it’s -”

“You really don’t know anything, do you.” I said. “How long have you been here.”

“Long enough-”

“Nope.” I cut him off. I’m not particularly interested in hearing endless versions of platitudes I’d already heard. I leaned forward across my desk. “See, you come in here, and you think you know what’s going on, and you think you know what’s best, just because you can wave your hand and watch the magic happen. You think that you’re alone, and that your version of right is the only right way out there. I’m going to give you some advice: the best way to get along in this world is to forget that. Forget it right now. There are as many versions of right as there are people living, and the faster you realize that the better off you’re going to be.”

“Pretty words, from a demon.” He said, but I could see something in him had shifted. He didn’t trust me yet, but I wasn’t acting like the threat that he had expected.

“Just because I’m not from your pantheon, doesn’t mean I’m evil.” I said. “What are you even in here for?”

He looked startled at the question, and looked at me with those dark, wet, doe eyes of his. “Why was I sent here?”

Oh, shit no. I really don’t want his life story. If he got kicked out of his version of heaven for whatever reason, the last thing I want to do is hear his sob story.

I have enough projects already. I can’t say that I agree with all the choices that seem to be made in Christian ‘heavens’, and the last thing I need is another fucking lost soul to be looking out for. I know myself too well at this point. He’ll say something like ‘I fought for what I believed in.’ and then I’ll have to listen to his story. Chances are good I’ll end up agreeing with him, and then I’d have to do something about it.

As long as I can believe that he’s on some kind of mission of his own, we can just skip all that, and I won’t ever have to see him again.

 

It’s not the nicest thought I’ve ever had, but angels are trouble.

 

“I don’t care why you were sent here.” It’s a lie, but the truth behind it is strong enough that I don’t care that much. I don’t want to care why he was sent here.

“I mean how did you end up getting picked up.”

“Apparently public property isn’t meant for all of the public.” he said.

“Someone thought you were drinking on a park bench, didn’t they.” I said. It happened all the time. There was someone who liked to fuck with the precinct by calling in so-called public disturbances. Usually it didn’t amount to anything, but an angel new to Earth would have the kind of energy about him that the guys on the squad would notice.

“Look,” I said, “Get out of here. Get yourself a bank account, and a nice apartment, and I don’t ever want to see you again alright?”

The angel looked at me with confusion clear in his big, dark eyes.

“You’re letting me go?”

“You’re not worth the paperwork.” I said. It’s not quite the real reason I want him out, but it’s definitely not a lie.

“I can go.” He said again.

“Usually people don’t stand around and question it when I tell them to get the hell out of my office.” I say pointedly. He’s just standing there.

What I wasn’t ready for was what happened next. He sticks his hand out to shake mine. I took his hand, figuring if that was what I needed to get him out so I could move on with my life, so be it.

The instant my hand touched his, it was like being consumed by fire, hot and clinging; boiling molasses surging through my veins; slow and heavy and inescapable. I felt like a balloon, with a thousand needles pressed against my skin. It didn’t hurt though. It was like  burning through debris, like my ribs had always been too small for my lungs, and suddenly my chest had been ripped open, and for the first time I could breathe. It felt like my bones had always been misaligned, and in one instant everything shifted, and I was feeling for the first time how it always should have been.

I’m not sure how long I stood there, holding the angel’s hand, but he never let go of me. When I finally managed to get out of my head, I pulled out of his grasp.

“What the hell was that.” I said. It wasn’t bad, but I was very far from being convinced that it had been any good either. I knew that I avoided angels for good reasons, damnit. Specifically to avoid shit like this.

The angel hunched in on himself and looked away.

There was something in the back of my head, a feeling that didn’t feel like it belonged to me. It was some confused mixture of shock, disbelief, hope and hurt.

I blocked it out.

“What the hell did you do to me?” I repeated, getting justifiably angry. I don’t like it when people cast magic on me. I still felt like I was sparking from the inside out. I’ve tried hard to stay out of magic, but I felt like maybe I hadn’t been put back right. If there was some kind of counter-curse I had to figure out to get myself back to rights, I would be very upset about it. (But I would do it, hell or highwater, because I don’t like it when people fuck with me.)

The angel was still staring at the floor. “I didn’t know.” he said, finally.

“You didn’t know what, exactly.” I bit out. I don’t want vague nothings. I want to know what just got unleashed on me.

“My mission,” The angel said, “Why I was sent here.”

“I’m sorry that you don’t have your entire purpose mapped out for you. Now do you want to answer my question?”

“That was my mission. I was sent here to find my One.”

I stared. What the fuck was that supposed to mean. “Your one?”

The angel finally looked up at me. “My One. My soulmate. I was sent here to find them. To help them. Trouble is coming, and I was sent to help.”

The not-mine feelings at the back of my head were getting stronger.

“You’re my soulmate.” I said.

“Yes.” he said.

  
  


Shit.


	6. Du BeKON

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Unrelated FiKi: Fili & Kili are both involved in fandom in the early days of the internet. They become friends through dial-up email and listservs. But, before they can reveal their online identities, they have a wild night as beautiful strangers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the lovely and wonderful [bloatedblond](http://archiveofourown.org/users/bloatedblond) who gave me a fantastic prompt of fandoms and mistaken identities.
> 
> un-beta'd, so if you catch anything, let me know!

  
Kíli set his packed breakfast down on the desk and sat down in front of the computer. He pulled up Netscape and unpacked his food while listening to the familiar crunching buzz of the internet dialing up. Taking a bite out his apple, Kíli turned back to the computer. He couldn’t wait to check his email and see what he’d gotten from FI771 (whom Kíli had taken to calling ‘Fizz’.). Kíli loved his job at the university - and loved the unfettered internet access that came with it. He wasn’t due to actually clock in for another few hours, but Fizz was usually on in the mornings, and this morning in particular - Kíli had news.

It was mostly good news - Kíli was studying Environmental Science and he’d managed to get a job working for the Forestry Services over the summer. He was ecstatic over the position; after all, it was hardly uncommon for temporary positions to become permanent ones if the job turned out to be a good fit.  
The bad news - Kíli knew there was no chance that he would have access to Internet while working for the forestry service. Which meant that he wouldn’t be able to talk to Fizz.

He’d probably be able to check in once a week. It wasn’t like he wouldn’t get days off. Days off were hardly compensation to the communication they’d kept up for the past year while Kíli had been at school.

They’d met on the mailing list for Chronicles of Durin (a book series that had been written by   
Bilbo baggins and then turned into a television show which starred Thorin Oakenshield). Their relationship had started with mutual admiration of commentary. Kíli was hugely impressed with Fizz’s incredible ability to read between the lines, and the essays he wrote on what distinctly wasn’t being said. Fizz seemed to be endlessly enthusiastic to hear Kíli’s theories about the mythos of the greater world that the show was set in. What began as an off-list conversation about the show quickly became more. It wasn’t long before the highlight of Kíli’s day would be checking his email for new messages from Fizz. Fizz was sarcastic and funny and smart, but also understood Kíli. There were things that Kíli had a hard time putting into words, that Fizz would just be able to express with such pointed clarity that Kíli knew Fizz *got* it.

Fizz was the first person that Kíli had been brave enough to come out to. The easy acceptance and support had been enough for Kíli to tell his parents. Through it all, Fizz had been there.

When Fizz had broken up with his girlfriend, Kíli had been there in return. When Fizz had been forced to choose between moving to a new city or taking a dead-end job, Kíli had been there, offering whatever support Fizz would take, and any advice he could scrape together that would come across as even the tiniest bit helpful or relevant.

Kíli had plenty of friends around campus and in the environmental science program, but there was something easy about being able to log in and chat with Fizz. Maybe it had started from the anonymity of email, but Kíli felt like he could tell Fizz anything. They talked about their lives, they talked about their problems. Fizz wasn’t Kíli’s best friend. That didn’t feel like it fit. Fizz was an entirely different category of friend.

Kíli was going to miss him like hell over the summer.

 

  
  


 

  
to: Kd1n@BluMontain.edu

from: FI771@erebor.tech.firezilla.net

 

 

Kdr1n!

I’ve attached my edits to your fic - (my comments are in red, as always.) You’re so on point with this one, though. It’s so in-character, the way that the world bends when Durin reaches the stone, and he doesn’t even notice it! It’s so amazing. And you have such a way with detail. It’s like reading the books. The way you write truly is incredible. - But I’ve said all of this in the comments.

I hope you send this one out to the list? It really is incredible. I really think that a lot of people would love to read your work. I love all of your work, and you really have grown as a writer since we’ve started talking. I know I say this every time, but truly. You should think about submitting this to one of the zines. It’s intriguing and provocative, and I think that it’s the kind of piece that really enriches the show itself. You do such an amazing job of filling in the the holes that I don’t even notice until you point them out.

Have you heard back about the job from Forest Services yet?

Oh! I found out today that Bilbo Baggins is going to be at Du Bekon! I wasn’t sure if I was going to go. But. He’s doing a talk and a signing afterwards. I’m close enough to go, and there’s no way I could miss that. (I don’t know how I’m going to pick which book I want to get signed.) Bilbo hardly ever goes out to make appearances anymore. I am so excited.

I also heard that maybe there was going to be a fandom meet-up. I don’t know if I’m going to go to that though. It seems so strange to meet people in person after only knowing them from the list.

I hope you had a good weekend!   
-Fizz

 

  
  


 

 

  
Kíli stared at the screen.

Du Bekon was the the first convention that was held with a specific focus on Chronicles of Durin, and Kíli wanted to go so badly. He hadn’t even though about going, because there was no way he could travel halfway across the country to go to a convention.

But.

Now he would be traveling halfway across the country for a job maintaining the forests. If he just happened to line up a few of his days off, he could actually make it to Du Bekon.

Maybe it would make the entire summer without Fizz bearable.

Maybe they could even meet.

Kíli couldn’t fight down his smile.

Maybe they could meet.

Letting his mind go wild with imaginings of finally being able to meet his friend, Kíli began to type out his reply.

  
* * * *

  
The summer wasn’t as long as Kíli had feared. He wound up working with a small crew out in the forest every day, and every night he’d come back to base camp, filled with the weary satisfaction of hard work.

Not only did he get to check his email every three days, but he had also managed to get four days for Du Bekon. He didn’t have to miss a single part of the convention.

Originally they had planned to meet up before the convention, but then Fizz hadn’t been able to get the extra days off work. They had then decided not to meet up on the first day, because Fizz would be travelling down, and would probably just barely make it in time to get to Bilbo’s panel. Eventually they managed to decide on a meeting point during a lull in the afternoon of the second day. (All of the panels being run that afternoon were for video-game tie ins, which neither Fizz nor Kíli were particularly interested in.)

In short, Kíli was having what felt like the best summer of his life.

* * * *

The con was like nothing that Kíli had ever experienced before. There were plenty of people wandering the convention center in jeans but there seemed to be just as many in costumes. Some of them were simple pieces of painted cardboard and duct tape. Some of them looked as if they’d walked straight out off the set of the television show. There were tables of art, zines, tables where people could purchase propss or related costume pieces. There were prints and pictures, jewelry and buttons, clothes and and lunchboxes and posters and so many people.

Bilbo’s slot to speak was fairly early, so Kíli had been one of the first into the room, determined to have a good view of the elusive author who had crafted the original books.

Bilbo’s talk was also the first time that Kíli saw The Blond.

The Blond, with beautiful, golden hair, that had been braided back in the simple pattern of the Warrior Prince from the television show. The blond had an immaculate costume. To Kíli it looked like it was made of real leather, and thought he could see the shimmer of chain mail under the harsh fluorescent lights of the convention center.

Not only was The Blond beautiful and impeccably dressed, he also asked good questions. Not the standard questions that got asked at every interview: ‘how did you get started writing? Do you have any advice for writers? Not that they were bad questions, but Kíli had already read those articles. He knew those answers. He wanted to hear something new. Apparently so did The Blond, who asked pointed, fascinating questions about the underlying grammar structure of the language used by Durin throughout the books, and asked questions about the finer points of the culture that had Bilbo elaborating until he was stopped by the moderator.

Kíli thought he might be a little bit in love.

  
* * * *

Kíli’s crush only grew worse as the day continued. The Blond seemed to have the exact same schedule as he did, turning up at almost all of the same panels, and continuing to ask intelligent, original questions, that often led to some of the best discussions that Kíli had ever heard about Chronicles of Durin.

Kíli was leaving the panel run by Dwalin Fundinson - the musical director and composer for the television show, when suddenly The Blond appeared beside him.

‘You ask good questions.’ The blond said with a smile.

Kíli couldn’t breathe. Brilliant blue eyes, dimples. It was as though his teenaged fantasies had walked out of his favourite novel and decided to talk to him.

‘You too.’ Kíli finally managed to get out. ‘Your costume is amazing.

The Blond grinned and rolled his shoulders, allowing the leather and mail to shift in the light. ‘I’m Mahal.’

Kíli grinned back. ‘Of course you are!’

‘Where are you off to next?’ Mahal asked, ‘Because I heard that there was going to be a fan discussion panel on the role of religion in the world building of the books.’

Kíli smiled helplessly. He was definitely a little in love.

* * * *

Kíli spent the entire rest of the day with Mahal, who had eventually introduced himself as Fíli. They sat next to each other, either whispering commentary, or, in quieter rooms writing notes to each other on notepad.

It was after the day was over that things to an unexpected twist.

Because Kíli had been harbouring his crush, but knew far better than to say anything.

Fíli, apparently had very different plans.

The panels were over, the convention hall was closing. Fíli turned to Kíli. ‘I was thinking about taking this off,’ he gestured to his costume, ‘and heading to Cherry Sips.’

Kíli stared. It sounded like Fíli was saying something more than the words that were coming out of his mouth, but Kíli for the life of him didn’t know what it was. ‘Cherry sips?’

Fíli, for the first time since Kíli had seen him, looked a bit uncomfortable, shifting where he stood.

‘You’re staying at the hotel, right?’ Fíli finally asked.

‘Yes?’ Kíli didn’t understand.

‘Ask the receptionist.’ Fíli said, not quite meeting Kíli’s eyes. ‘If it’s something you might be into, I’ll meet you there at 8. If it’s not your style…’ Fíli shrugged, but missed nonchalance by miles, ‘We can just forget this conversation ever happened.’

‘What-?’

Fíli just smiled ‘I love this costume, but I really would love to get out of it right now. It’s been a long day.’

‘Oh.’ Kíli said. ‘Right. Of course.’

Fíli shook his head and gave a rueful smile before backing away. ‘Maybe I’ll see you around.’

‘See you later!’ Kíli said with a wave.

Fíli turned and walked away.

Kíli turned and and headed straight for the hotel reception desk. He suddenly had a burning need to figure out what was so special about Cherry Sips.

* * * *

  
Cherry Sips was the the biggest gay bar in the city, and when Kíli had figured out that Fíli had asked him to a gaybar, he’d almost been faint with excitement.  
Kíli had been in a few short relationships, and had his fair amount of flings at universtiy, but the thought that he would actually have a shot at Fíli had honestly never even crossed his mind.

Until the golden, dawning moment when he realized that he had more than a shot - he had an invitiation.

Kíli had rushed up to his room, set a landspeed record for getting through the shower and then spent nearly the next hour despairing at his clothing selection. After trying on every single combination of clothing that he’d brought with him, he looked at the clock and realized he had to leave with what he was wearing at that moment. Kíli wound up in a button down shirt that had fit him well at the beginning of the summer, but was starting to get tight around the shoulders from the muscle he’d built doing forestry, and a pair jeans that were torn just artfully enough that it almost didn’t look like the holes were from Kíli tripping over things. He threw his wallet in his pocket, and grabbed the directions he’d gotten from the receptionist.

He had a date with Fíli.

* * * *

It turned out to be more than just a date. Fíli had looked joyous and a little surprised when Kíli had finally found him at the bar in Cherry Sips. The leather was gone, replaced with jeans and a clingy, soft-looking dark grey t-shirt. The glorious blond hair was apparently natural. Fíli apparently hadn’t taken the time to take his braids out.

Kíli had smiled, and said ‘This is very much my scene.’

Fíli had smiled bright enough that Kíli was dazed by it. ‘Perfect.’ And then he took two drinks from the bartender and handed one to Kíli.

‘To a night of good company.’ Fíli said, raising his glass in a toast.

‘To a night of good company.’ Kíli agreed, tapping his glass with Fíli’s and then downing the shot.

  
* * * *

  
Drinks had led them to the dance floor. The dance floor led them to wandering hands and grinding hips and the wet slide of mouths to the pounding, electronic beat. The hot slide of tongue gave way to heated whispers which ended in the decision to get a cab because walking back to the hotel room would take far too long to be acceptable.

The cab ride was sloppy kisses, hands tracing heat through clothes, uncaring of anything beyond the pulsing heat spreading between them.

Fíli had a room on the first floor. They fell through the door in a tangle of limbs and sparking attraction, tripping over shoes and kisses and clothes until they managed to find their way to the bed in the center of the room.

Then Fíli was reaching for his discarded jeans, pulling condoms and lube out of the pockets, and Kíli was panting frantic, exalting affirmations into golden skin.

It was heat and lightning and drowning, cresting over and over, until they were nothing left but heavy limbs, uncoordinated and drunk on pleasure, slipping into the heavy sleep of exhaustion.

  
* * * *

The next morning was a slow awakening to golden sunbeams through the cracks in the curtains. Kíli blinked his eyes open slowly, and then smiled at the sight of Fíli’s golden hair; braids partially undone laying in tangles against the soft white of the hotel bedding.

‘Morning…’ Fíli said softly, and his voice was thick and hazy edged with sleep.

‘Morning.’ Kíli replied, reaching over to run a hand through Fíli’s beautiful hair.

‘’Time is’t?’ Fíli asked, stretching out against the bed.

Kíli checked the clock. ‘It’s not quite 8:00.’ He paused, ‘We have time for breakfast before we go back to the con?’

Fíli smiled lazily, and Kíli had to lean and kiss the look of smug satisfaction from his face. They finally parted, and Fíli ran a hand along the scruff of Kíli’s jaw. ‘Breakfast sounds good. I’ve got a thing this afternoon, I don’t know how long it’ll go, but I think my bed would miss you if you didn’t come back this evening.’

Kíli pouted and flicked Fíli’s nose. ‘That was a terrible line. I have a meet-up this afternoon, but tonight sounds good.’

  
* * * *

They eventually parted, allowing for Kíli to head up to his room and for both of them to get ready for the second day of the con.

They met back for breakfast, and this time, Fíli dressed was tight brown trousers, knee-high black leather boots and a white cotton peasant shirt that laced up low on his chest. Kíli nearly choked on air at the sight of it.

‘Today, you are..?’ Kíli asked

‘Bungo. Obviously.’

Kíli nodded. ‘Obviously.’

They had sat next to each other and enjoyed breakfast and the surprisingly good coffee the hotel provided. After they’d finished, though, Fíli had grabbed Kíli’s hand and said, ‘Come back to my room first.’

Kíli had been expecting many things, but he had not been expecting for Fíli to pull out a huge suitcase, and start throwing things in his direction.

‘You don’t have to if you don’t want, but if you’d like, I have things that will fit you.’ Fíli had said.

And that was how Kíli ended up in a black shirt, cut wide to show off his collarbones, tight black leather trousers, and honestly more belts than anyone would ever actually need in any situation conceivable, ever. He wound up in the heavy, buckled boots that Fíli had been wearing the day before.

Fíli had then come at him with eyeliner and a bit of hair gel, and then turned him loose in front of a mirror.

‘Holy shit.’ Kíli said, stunned. ‘I look…’ he didn’t have words.

‘You look just like Isildur.’ Fíli said with a grin.

Kíli nodded enthusiastically. ‘This is amazing!’

‘Now we’re ready for the con.’ Fíli said.

  
They walked to the convention center with their fingers entwined.

* * * *

  
They went to morning panels together, wandered the convention booths, (being stopped for photos a few times) and had lunch before making their plans to meet back up that night.

‘I’ll call your room at 10:00?’ Kíli asked.

‘Sounds perfect.’ Fíli said, dropping a kiss on Kíli’s mouth before standing and heading off for his meeting that afternoon.

* * * *

With the distraction of Fíli gone, Kíli was hit with the rush of excitement for meeting Fizz. He was secretly excited that he didn’t have to meet up with Fíli again in the afternoon, so he could spend as much time with Fizz as possible.

They had gone over the convention schedule, and decided to meet up in a room that would be empty for the entire afternoon.

Kíli had no idea what Fizz looked like - he wasn’t even sure what Fizz’s real name was - but he couldn’t fight the giddiness pulsing through him.

This con was turning out to be one of the most amazing weekends of his life.

* * * *

  
It was 2:20, and Kíli finished his latest circuit of the game room, before heading down the hallway toward the room where he would be meeting Fizz. He was nearly skipping, bubbling over with happiness at the idea of finally - *finally* - getting to actually meet his friend!

He turned at the conference room, and pushed open the door.

At first he thought the room was empty, but then he heard the fast tapping of a pen against a table. He turned, and all words dropped out his mind.

‘Fíli???’

‘Kíli?’ Fíli dropped his pen on the table in his shock, ‘ but I’m here to meet-’

‘FIZZ??’ Kíli stared.

‘You’re Kaydrin?!?!’

Kíli nodded, still unable to find words.

Fíli flopped back into his chair with a moan. ‘This is so unfair.’

Kíli’s heart leapt to his throat. ‘What?’

Fíli sent him a wry smile. ‘You’re gorgeous. You’re my best friend. You’re the best lay I’ve ever had and you live in the middle of nowhere!’

Kíli laughed. He had a suspicious feeling that they would work something out.

  
* * * *

Later, when Kíli had graduated and gotten a full-time position with the forest-services crew; when Fíli had moved on from his position working on security codes for operating systems and started designing his own software. When they moved in together, people would ask why Kíli called Fíli ‘Fizz’, and why Fíli would call Kíli ‘Kaydrin’.

(If, sometimes, there were nights, Kíli would reach for Fíli’s golden hair, and call him Mahal, or times when Fíli would pour Kíli into black leather and call him Isildur, well, nobody needed to know about that.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I got *very* distracted writing this prompt, because I think the history of fandom is just fantastically interesting. So, if you're interested in what online fandom was like in the days of dail-up, here are a couple of places I found that I thought were really informative.
> 
> http://arduinna.dreamwidth.org/41600.html (a personal recollection, with many good links. I really recommend this one.)
> 
> http://fanlore.org/wiki/Mailing_list
> 
> and if you want to know what old-school archives looked like back in the day, it was something like this: http://www.kestrelsan.sockiipress.org/links.html


	7. Definitely Not Dog Problems

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'Fíli is a businessman with a really hectic schedule, Kili is the hot dog-sitter'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the truly spectacular [mosslover](http://archiveofourown.org/users/mosslover) who gave me the prompt.
> 
> I hope you enjoy, friend. ;)
> 
>  
> 
> Not beta'd so if you catch anything, let me know!
> 
> Pretty sure there are no warning for this one. It's very rated G.

Kíli isn’t entirely sure how he wound up with the job - he heard from Tauriel who heard from Legolas who heard from Gimli who heard from Ori - but nonetheless. Something had happened, and Kíli had found himself with a position working for Fíli Durin. As a pet-sitter/house-watcher.

 

Kíli liked animals, not that he was able to have his own living in University dorms, and Fíli’s dogs were a delight. Kíli called Fíli’s dogs ‘half a pack’. They were three husky mutts, all from the same litter. They mostly took care of themselves, entirely content to pass the time playing together in Fíli’s huge, fenced-in back yard. Their names were Bonzai, Ed, and Shenzi Marie Predatora Veldetta Jacquelina, respectively.

 

Honestly, he loved it. Fíli’s schedule was - well. Kíli thought it must be pretty damn horrifying, with the amount of late-night, last-minute phone calls he got, asking him to if he can go take care of the dogs. It wasn’t any hardship. Kíli had a fairly flexible schedule. He was taking a full load of courses, and had to keep his grades up for his scholarship, but caring for Fíli’s Half-Pack left Kíli with enough of an income that he didn’t need to pick up another part-time job. Kíli was more than willing to go over to Fíli’s place.

 

Kíli was especially willing to go over to Fíli’s place when he thought he might actually be able to have a chance to talk to Fíli. It was indulging a crush school-boy crush, but Kíli didn’t mind indulging his fantasies. They had started out when Kíli had first met Fíli; beautiful, golden, and sharp. At their first interview , Fíli had been every inch of the businessman he was; charming, charismatic, brilliantly intelligent. That was how the crush had started.

 

The crush had gotten significantly worse once Kíli had actually landed the position.

 

Fíli at home wasn’t the put-together businessman he was at an interview. This was Fíli with his hair thrown back in a messy tale, trying to remember if he had everything in his briefcase and if he’d brought the right tie to match the suit packed. It was Fíli stumbling in, rumpled and jet-lagged after countless hours in aeroplanes and airports. It was the way that Fíli would lean against his fridge and hold a coffee mug like it held water from the fountain of youth.

 

Not that they had much time for talk. It was usually no more than fifteen minutes that they were in Fíli’s house together. There was usually just a brief recap, a note if there was anything out of the usual happening, and the exchange of keys.

 

Most of the time.

 

Sometimes, Fíli would come home in the middle of the night, exhausted and wide-awake. Kíli, having the fairly standard Uni-student sleep schedule of ‘up all night, sleep whenever’ would happily stay and sip a mug of tea and talk of inanities for as long as it would take for Fíli to wind down.

 

Those were the days that fed Kíli’s crush. When Fíli’s smiles were softer and held none of the toothpaste-commercial shine that got turned on for business meetings. When Fíli was tired enough that he would ramble on about how smoking tastes better out of a pipe, or how the true secrets of comfort can be measured in the thickness of one’s socks. When Fíli started to droop, Kíli would excuse himself, and head back to his dorm, pretending the whole time that his crush wasn’t getting growing beyond ‘schoolboy’ and into something closer resembling ‘GIANT GAPING CHASM OF EMBARRASSING FEELINGS’.

 

The point was, Kíli loved his job. He got payed to play with some of the sweetest dogs he’d ever met, and Fíli. Kíli honestly couldn’t think of a single situation where he would ever not love his job.

 

Until.

 

It was the middle of finals week, and Kíli was exhausted. Between reports and presentations and exams, the only thing Kíli wanted to was go back to his room and commune with his mattress for the next several weeks. Unfortunately, what he was actually doing was going to the library to sit in on a study group for organic chemistry.

 

The study group had gotten about halfway through the study guide when Kíli’s phone went off. He grabbed it, and was about to turn it off when he saw it was Fíli’s number. His heart sank. Of course, if Fíli needed him, he’d go. It was just the worst timing possible.

 

He picked up the call.

 

‘Kíli, I’m really sorry. I know it’s late notice.’

 

‘When do you need me to be there?’ Kíli asked, hoping he managed to keep the frustration out of his tone.

 

‘I have to leave at six tonight.’

 

‘Alright. I’ll be there.’

 

‘Thank you so much. I think I’ll be back in three days. I’ll call when I know.’

 

‘Yeah, of course. I’ll see you later.’

 

‘Thanks again, Kíli.’ Fíli said, and then hung up.

 

Kíli sighed and pocketed his phone. It was going to be a very long week.

 

*   *   *   *

 

Fíli was absolutely exhausted as he pulled down the drive that led to his house. His original flight had been scheduled for seven in the morning, but when meetings had let out early, he’d jumped at the chance to catch an earlier plane. Fíli had the next two days off - a rare treat that he desperately needed after so many weeks of emergency meetings across the globe - and all he wanted to do was sleep in his own bed.

  
  


He wasn’t expecting to see lights on when he pulled into his driveway. It was nearly half-past three in the morning. He frowned as he parked his car, and grabbed his bag from the boot. He walked into his house, noting the lights were all on, helpfully leading him in, and through from the kitchen to the living room.

 

At first Fíli didn’t see anyone, but then, as he continued into the room, he saw the books and papers spread all over the floor. Then a mostly-empty mug. Finally, when he walked all the way around the couch, he saw Kíli, who had clearly fallen asleep while studying, and was now surrounded by similarly sleeping dogs.

 

Fíli stared at the young man covered in dogs asleep on his floor. He’d been fighting his crush with every thread of strength he possessed. He was too busy to start a relationship, how well did he even know Kíli, aside from the bleary evening that Kíli was kind enough to stay while Fíli talked himself in tired circles. How much more of a walking cliché could he even be - the businessman falling for his dogsitter.

 

But…

 

There was something about Kíli. The kindness in his eyes when Fíli hadn’t yet had enough coffee to function. The sincerity of Kíli’s laugh. Kíli held some kind of joyful exuberance that Fíli knew couldn’t be faked; an unbridled enthusiasm for life that Fíli enamoured with, enchanted by.  

 

Coming home and seeing this: Kíli curled up on the floor with Banzai, Ed and Shenzi. Fíli felt like maybe it could be a vision of the future. Everyone he loved in one place, there to greet him when he came home, rough and ragged around the edges from work.

 

Fíli took a deep breath, and sunk a bit deeper into the warm feeling that was curling through his chest. He came to a decision. This was what he wanted, and tomorrow, he would ask Kíli out. No amount of pride could ever be better than the possibility of getting to have this.

 

First, though, everyone needed sleep - proper sleep, which did not include lights, textbooks, or dogs as blankets. Fíli put his bag on the couch, then knelt on the floor. He placed a gentle hand on Kíli’s shoulder. ‘Hey.’ he said softly. ‘Kíli?’

 

Kíli stirred slowly, blinking a few times before he seemed to realize where he was. He shot up with a jolt, waking up the dogs as well who were quick to voice their displeasure when their mattress moved.

 

‘Shit, Fíli. Fuck I’m so sorry. Oh uhm. Fuck. sorry.’ Kíli dragged a hand across his eyes, trying desperately to clear the sleep from his brain. ‘Just give me a second. I’ll get out of your hair.’ He bit his lip and stared at the papers scattered all over the floor. He could feel that he was blushing. He hadn’t meant to fucking fall asleep.

 

‘Kíli, Kíli, it’s alright.’ Fíli said. ‘I’m not going to make you drive home.’

 

‘What?’ Kíli asked. Then frowned. He was never his best when he’d just woken up.

 

‘It’s nearly four in the morning.’ Fíli said, ‘Just stay in the guest room.’ He paused, ‘Unless... do you have a test tomorrow?’

 

‘Not tomorrow no, it’s the day after.’

 

‘Then why don’t you get some decent sleep tonight. Go home in the morning.’

 

Kíli blinked up at him. ‘Uh.’

 

‘Unless you don’t want to, of course.’ Fíli said.

 

‘No, uh. That’d be really great.’ Kíli said. ‘Thank you.’

 

Fíli reached forward and started gathering Kíli’s papers into a pile.

 

‘Oh, shit, no I can do that-’ Kíli said, moving frantically to make up for slow brain.

 

‘Kíli.’ Fíli said, with laughter colouring his tone, ‘I don’t mind.’

 

Kíli stared, as he shoved papers into his books. ‘Thanks?’

 

‘Are you still asleep?’ Fíli asked.

 

‘Yeah, pretty much.’ Kíli said, nodding. This was definitely a question he knew the answer to. He grabbed the piles of paperwork and tried stand only to trip over Shenzi and immediately lose his balance. Fíli caught him before he met the floor, and Kíli was back to wondering if maybe he wasn’t awake at all. But, Fíli’s hands were warm and solid on his shoulders, and Kíli was pretty sure that he wouldn’t be able to dream all the shades of blue in Fíli’s eyes.

 

‘You okay?’ Fíli asked.

 

Kíli nodded again. Maybe he’d woken up in wonderland? ‘I’ll just. um.’ He nodded down the hallway, ‘Guest room.’

 

Fíli slowly released his hold, making sure that Kíli was steady on his feet. ‘Shenzi looks like she’ll escort you there.’ he said with a smile.

 

Kíli glanced down and grinned. ‘Yeah, she’s my girl.’ Kíli shifted his books to one arm, so he could reach down and run a hand through her fur. ‘Thanks for letting me stay.’

 

Fíli walked over to the couch and grabbed his bag. ‘Of course!’ Then he paused, but Kíli was already making his way down the hallway. ‘See you in the morning.’

 

Kíli turned back to smile in response. ‘Yeah. In the morning.’

 

*    *   *   *

  
  


Kíli woke slowly, and scrabbled for his phone to check the time. It was nearly half-past nine, and Kíli was filled with an awkward, sinking feeling. Fíli was probably already off to work. Maybe it was for the best though. He felt the burn of embarrassment when he thought of the previous night. He was so lucky he hadn’t been drooling.

 

He’d slept in his clothes, so he just rolled out of the bed - then straightened it, because he was hardly going to leave behind an unmade bed - slipped on his shoes and stepped out into the hallway.

 

It was then that Kíli heard the clatter of movement from the kitchen. He moved towards the soudn without even thinking, only to be greeted by the sight of Fíli in pajamas, sporting one of the most amazing cases of bedhead that Kíli had ever seen in his life.

 

‘Good morning?’ Kíli asked, tentatively.

 

‘Good morning!’ Fíli said back, smiling like the sun itself. ‘Sleep well?’

 

‘Yeah, I did. Thanks again for letting me stay.’

 

‘It was hardly any trouble.’ Fíli said, but then he frowned into his coffee cup.

 

‘Is something wrong?’

 

Fíli was silent for a long moment, and Kíli could feel the nervous tension starting to knot in his muscles.

 

‘I’d really like to take you out for coffee this morning.’ Fíli said, suddenly looking very serious and staring Kíli in the eyes. ‘You don’t have to say yes, it won’t effect anything,’ he continued, ‘but I like you, and I’d like to get to know you better.’

 

Kíli stared. ‘Are you asking me for a date?’

 

Fíli winced ‘That’s probably terribly inappropriate, isn’t it. Look-’

 

‘No! No no!’ Kíli cut him off. ‘Yes! We should absolutely get coffee.’

 

‘Oh.’ Fíli looked up. ‘Really?’

 

Kíli smiled. ‘Yes. Very much really.’

  
Fíli smiled back. ‘How do you feel about brunch?’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (The dogs are named after they hyenas from Lion King. Fili may or may not have subtle Disney Power-ties.)


	8. Dark!Fíli - (Please note warnings)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For princessgrimm who asked for a fiki songfic of Therapy's 'Me Vs. You', featuring Dark!Fíli
> 
> \- PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS A VERY DARK FIC.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for [princessgrimm](http://princessgrimm.tumblr.com/) who asked for a fiki songfic of Therapy's ['Me Vs. You'](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQ4l_Z8Qnds), featuring Dark!Fíli.
> 
>  
> 
> TRIGGER WARNING: manipulation, non-con, stalking, homicide/suicide - this is a really dark fic. (If I've missed a trigger please let me know and I will add it.)
> 
>  
> 
> Also, this is un-beta'd, so if you catch any mistakes, please let me know!

Fíli stared at the light shining through the window. He knew it was Kíli’s house. Kíli’s new house. He wasn’t supposed to know where it was; he wasn’t supposed to know anything about Kíli anymore. It had been for the best, they’d all said.

‘The best for who.’ Fíli muttered under his breath as he watched, feeling the anger boil up within him.

It had been easy enough to find Kíli’s place, after all. No one was to know why the second prince had been sent away from Erebor. No one could ever find out the scandal that had taken place. Fíli could feel the bitterness rise at the back of his throat. As if it hadn’t been all their fault anyway.

‘Stay with your brother, Fíli.’ They’d said, ‘Take care of your brother.’’Your job is to teach him.’ Fíli sneered. Funny how it all looked so different to them all when Fíli had stopped teaching Kíli about tree climbing and letter writing. When it had become camping trips and hunting. The shocked look of horror and incomprehension when they’d finally realized that Fíli had also been teaching Kíli what it meant to kneel, what it felt like to be on his hands and knees and fully possessed by someone else. They hadn’t understood that Fíli was just doing what they had always told him to do.

They had sent Kíli away, and called for specialists. They had fed him potions and tinctures and herbs, spoken of dragon-sickness. None of them knew. None of them could understand.

It had nothing to do with dragons or gold. It was the way that Kíli had always looked at him, wide eyed and trusting. The way that Kíli would open his mouth for Fíli’s cock, and Fíli could see the confusion in those dark eyes.

It was the way that Kíli hadn’t understood.

Fíli had told him to do something, and Kíli hadn’t been sure, but his trust in his brother had overruled everything else. Fíli’s hands would coil in dark hair, and tip Kíli head back, and paint his face with cum. Kíli couldn’t understand why every time Fíli told him to take his clothes off, he felt a little bit thinner, a little bit more fragile.

But it was Fíli, so surely it couldn’t be bad.

 

Fíli had watched as Kíli had begun to collapse on himself, breaking under the weight of it. Poor, sweet Kíli, always so eager to please. The way his dark eyelashes would flutter, clumped and wet with tears as Fíli would fuck his throat. Fíli was in love with the contrast of it. The look of Kíli’s innocence even as Fíli slid into him. The confusion in his eyes when Fíli would jerk him off and he would come despite the tears of pain on his face.

 

The way that Kíli started to buckle slowly, as he lost touch with his memories from before; of his life before Fíli had crawled into every corner of his being. When Kíli finally found the courage to look up and ask ‘Is this how it’s supposed to be? Is it like this for everyone?’

Fíli had run his thumb along Kíli’s red, kiss-swollen mouth and answered ‘Yes.’

 

It had been so easy.

It had been so intoxicating.

 

Like nothing Fíli had ever felt before. The knowledge that he could shape Kíli’s entire existence with a single word. He didn’t need gold, he didn’t need the throne. He needed Kíli. Needed to own Kíli. After all, he had always been told. He was a brother before he was a prince. He was only doing what he was told.

 

Fíli still wasn’t sure how they’d been found out, what piece he’d overlooked that had caused their discovery. He knew he was lucky though. The door had opened when Fíli had stripped Kíli down, but it was before anything had happened. Before Fíli had dosed his brother with extracts to make him willing and pliant. Before he tied Kíli to the bed, and made Kíli ask to be able to suck his brother’s cock.

They had separated the two of them. Fíli knew they could never understand. It didn’t matter if they were separated. It didn’t matter how much distance was between them. Fíli would always find Kíli. Fíli would always be the one who truly knew how to care for Kíli.

After all. That’s what big brothers were for.

 

No one had understood though. They had forced Kíli away, and pushed Fíli into the shadows, as if that would change anything.

Fíli stared at the light in the house, waiting for a change to occur.

 

He had to wait until Kíli had gone before he could follow. He was the big brother. It was his job to follow Kíli everywhere, to keep him safe.

 

It had been easy enough to do. Fíli had found the house and watched for a few days. Kíli was a creature of habit though, and Fíli knew his brother’s habits well. After all, he had built most of Kíli’s habits. Fíli had waited until Kíli was out before slipping in. Kíli had left his dinner on the stove, like he so often did. Fíli had pulled the little glass bottle out of his pocket and poured it into the pot, stirring it in. He gave a sniff, and couldn’t detect a difference. He gave a nod of satisfaction. He had his assurances that it would barely take a pinch, but Fíli knew it was prudent to err on the side of caution. He suspected he wouldn’t have many other chances.

 

And he had to make good. He was only doing what he had been told to do his entire life.

 

 

As Fíli was watching, a red-headed elf came down the path, and turned towards the house. Fíli held his breath. He had known there was an elf involved in his brother’s healing. He wasn’t sure if she would be able to smell the addition to Kíli’s food though.

She had barely gotten into the house, when a shrill scream split the air. Fíli smiled. It must have worked then.

They had told him to look after his brother, and he had. Then they had told him he wasn’t allowed anymore. Wasn’t allowed to see little Kíli ever again.

Fíli knew they must have been lying. No one would ever keep him from his brother. They just didn’t understand. No one could care for Kíli like he could. No one would ever own Kíli the way that he did. It wasn’t fair to anyone to send Kíli away.

Fíli had done the only thing left for him to do.

Fíli unstoppered the bottle and gave it a gentle swish. He still couldn’t smell anything. With a shrug, he brought the bottle to his mouth, and drank the end of it down.

 

It had virtually no flavour to it, just a hint of a sweet aftertaste that lingered in his throat. That was good, Fíli thought, it would mean that Kíli probably hadn’t noticed it.

The effects were swift. Fíli could already feel the fuzziness tugging at the edges of his mind.

 

It was perfect. Two brothers, meant to be together forever, torn apart by those who didn’t understand. Now nothing would ever come between them again. They would go together to the halls of Mandos, and no one would ever be able to separate them.

Fíli would finally have fulfilled his duty. Nothing could harm them in the halls of their ancestors. Nothing would get in the way of Fíli caring for Kíli.

 

After all. That’s what brothers were for.

 

 


	9. Love in the Library

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For the awesome Drakkhammer, who asked for College!AU fiki - One of them is in a cast, the other one volunteers to help out (with optional bonus of 'physical therapy').

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the incredible[DrakkHammer](http://archiveofourown.org/users/DrakkHammer/pseuds/DrakkHammer) who asked for College!AU fiki - One of them is in a cast, the other one volunteers to help out (with optional bonus of 'physical therapy').
> 
> The 'Physical Therapy' ended up being quite literal, but ah well. ;) Hope you enjoy!
> 
> This was once again not beta-read, so if you catch anything, let me know!
> 
>  
> 
> \- As a bit of respite from the last fic, this one is like, PG fluff. Maybe PG-13 because of innuendo. Or. Y'know. Blatent come-ons. :P

It had seemed like a good idea, until Kíli had seen the single most devastating sign that he’d ever read in his entire life:   LIFT OUT OF ORDER UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. APOLOGIES FOR THE INCONVENIENCE.

He glared at the stairs. The study group was on the fourth floor. It was also finals week, and if Kíli did well on his exam he’d be able to pull his grade up from a C to a B.

Kíli sneered at the stairs, throwing all of his hatred and frustration into the look.

The stairs remained impassive, the only option to getting to his study group. He gave a weary sigh. He didn’t really have any other options. Going up stairs wasn’t so bad, anyway. He could take  a wide stance with his crutches and swing-hop his way up. It was going down that posed problems. The awkward, sideways shuffle needed for Kíli to get down without banging his cast and jarring his healing leg.

He adjusted his bag on his shoulders, and then began the trek up the stairs.

 

The study session had absolutely been worth the climb. Kíli had gotten several pages of notes that made far more sense than his own, and together they’d gone through all five versions of the practice test until they had all understood all of the correct answers. Kíli had felt he was on a roll, so when the other packed up and offered their help, he declined. He had an essay to write anyway, and he’d seen some books that seemed relevant as he’d made his way to the study rooms.

The books had been helpful, and Kíli was glad for the new reference material. He hadn’t noticed as time had slipped past, or as his head began to droop.

  


Kíli woke up when a hand shook his shoulder. He sat up abruptly and was faced with one of the most stunningly beautiful faces he’d ever seen.

‘Uh.’ He said intelligently, ‘What?’

‘We’re closing. You’re lucky I saw the light on in here. You were almost locked in!’

Kíli stared, not quite comprehending. ‘You’re closing?’

‘Yeah. Sorry. You’d probably sleep better in your bed though anyway.’ The blond said with a laugh.

‘What time is it?’

‘It’s half-past eleven.’

‘Shit.’ Kíli said. He was groggy and tired. He was hungry and thirsty and his leg was throbbing and all he wanted was to not have to go down the stairs. Though he supposed he wasn’t particularly interested in getting locked into the library either. With a sigh he started grabbing his books and papers and shoving them into his bag.

The blond was leaning against the wall, staring out at nothing as Kíli gathered his things. Kíli finished shoving everything into his backpack, then began the awkward shuffle to the edge of his chair. He balanced on the edge, leaning forward enough he could swing his bag onto his shoulder. Once he’d gotten his bag on, he reached for his crutches, which had fallen on the floor.

The blond startled when he saw crutches appear from under the table. ‘Oh, I’m so sorry! Do you need help with anything?’

Kíli glanced up at him, pride warring with his desire to get down the stairs with as little effort as possible. Pride lost.

‘If you could take my bag, actually, I’d be able to go down the stairs a lot faster.’

Fíli gaped for a moment, before reaching over to relieve Kíli of his bag.. ‘Shit, that’s right. The elevator’s broken.’

Kíli gave a thin smile and stood up gingerly.. ‘I noticed that getting up here.’

An expression of disbelief crossed over the blond’s face. ‘No, look - okay. My name’s Fíli, alright? Just come get me whenever you need a book okay? I’ll fetch things until you get out of your cast.’ he said nodding at the navy blue plaster that went up past Kíli’s right knee.

‘Fíli?’ Kíli said.

‘That’s me.’ Fíli said with a nod.

‘I’m Kíli.’

‘Cool. That’ll be easy to remember then.’ Fíli said with a nod. ‘Ready to go?’

‘As ready as I’ll get.’ Kíli replied drily.

The walk to the stairs was fine. Getting down the stairs was an entirely different matter. Kíli was unco-ordinated in his weariness, and he kept slipping and instinctively trying to put weight on his bad leg.

‘Don’t take this the wrong way.’ Fíli said, after Kíli had paused again to whimper through the wave of pain that was dispersing through his leg, ‘Please don’t climb these stairs again. I’ll even give you my mobile number, okay? Just call me.’

Kíli tried to smile through the pain. ‘You trying to get my phone number, Fíli?’

Fíli frowned. ‘Sorry if I’m coming on strong, it’s just. I’m majoring in physical science. I’ve been working as a physical therapist for the past two years. There’s the good way to push yourself and a bad way to push yourself.’  Kíli slipped again on the stairs, and Fíli’s hands were right there to steady him. ‘This is not the good way.’ Fíli said.

Kíli stared at the blue eyes that were suddenly mere inches from his own. ‘And you would know the good way?’

Fíli’s eyes flicked down towards Kíli’s mouth, and Kíli felt giddiness bubble up in his stomach.

‘I might know the best ways.’ Fíli said, letting his voice deepen with attraction and intent.

Kíli grinned back, slow and seductive. ‘Why, Mr. Fíli. That sounds like the kind of offer I would love to take you up on.’

‘As soon as we get you down the stairs.’ Fíli said, eyes hot and voice full of promise.

Kíli looked down at the stairs with renewed determination. He suddenly had a very good incentive indeed to make it back to the ground floor. Kíli braced his crutches and once again began his sideways shuffle down the stairs. He made it just over ten steps before he slipped again, letting out a yelp of pain as he accidentally landed on his bad leg.

Fíli stepped back in front of him. ‘Let me help?’

Kíli frowned.

‘I do this for a living, remember?’

‘When you’re not working at the library, you mean.’

Fíli grinned, ‘Yeah. When I’m not working at the library. Now, here, just put your arm around my shoulders like this, okay?’

Kíli followed Fíli’s instructions and soon was pressed tightly to Fíli’s side. Kíli could barely concentrate on where to put his feet, not to mention what to do with his crutches. He was entirely distracted by the solid, steady warmth of Fíli. Fíli who was so much stronger than he looked, sure-footed and calm, easing them both down the steps with no further incident.

Kíli didn’t even think about when they reached the floor. ‘Thank you so much!’ He said, before leaning in and pressing his mouth to Fíli’s. His eyes flew open in shock when he realized what he’d done, and he pulled back immediately. ‘Oh, shit, Fíli-’

‘If you apologize, I’ll make you climb the stairs again.’ Fíli said, ‘Now come back here and kiss me again.’

‘Are those the doctor’s orders?’ Kíli’s eyes were shining brightly.

‘I’m not a doctor. I’m a physical therapist.’ Fíli corrected. ‘It means I know how to make you hurt, and also how to make you feel better than you’ve ever felt before.’

Kíli grinned. ‘Is that a promise?’

Fíli leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Kíli’s mouth and then pulled back before Kíli had a chance to respond. ‘You have to get off the stairs first.’

Kíli glared.

Fíli laughed, but then gave in, stepping back in to be by Kíli’s side once more. ‘Remember. I’m right here. Now. First with your left crutch…’

It was well past midnight by the time they finally managed to get out of the library and lock the door.

 

Then they went to Kíli’s apartment and locked the door for an entirely different reason.

 


	10. Love Standards in Swing Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For Astaraiche's Oisinn who requested 'Big Band-era Fiki, with Fili as the popular singer and Kili as the trumpet player'.
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I reckon this one is probably rated PG? and um. Valentines Day Schmoop?
> 
> For [ Astaraiche's Oisinn](http://astaraiches-oisinn.tumblr.com/).
> 
> Un-beta'd. If you catch anything, please let me know. Constructive Criticism is always welcome!

Fíli sang, letting the words resonate off his teeth and spill into the smoky air of the club. Erebor had been a successful nightclub during prohibition, and when the alcohol ban had finally lifted, Thorin had managed to gracefully transition it into a classy above-ground bar without tipping into the territory of being a clip-joint.  Fíli knew they were lucky. So many had lost so much with the crash. Lines ran tight with the dwarves. Thorin had made space for as many of them as he could, taking whatever skills they had and making use of them. It had given rise to Thorin’s Company, which had quickly made a name for itself as one of the best hot jazz joints in the city.

Bilbo was the one who had truly made it all shine, the piano player with quick fingers and a quicker mouth, who led the band, and always seemed to know the right way to push to get the sound he wanted.

Fíli sang, knew the wide range of his voice could slide between the notes of the brass behind him. He knew how to float light and airy over the top of cascading strings, how to slow down, low and sultry, then lead the brass to crescendo behind him. He had a good head for lyrics, the rhythm of syllables reflected in the thrum of walking bass lines. No one could blame him if he dropped to scat every once in a while. Especially when Kíli had a solo.

Fíli occasionally thought that Bilbo was unfair. Kíli virtually never got any time to lead, even though he was the first trumpet. Bilbo had pegged it early though, that when Kíli would take the melody, the round brassy notes seeping into the atmosphere, and those were the nights when Fíli would get distracted. Fíli thought he was a decent hand at scat, but Bilbo was a stickler for lyrics.

Fíli worried about his brother, too. Kíli had been quiet for the past weeks, staying in when he used to go out, and sometimes disappearing for hours and never quite sounding right when he’d tell Fíli where he’d been. Fíli was worried maybe he’d gotten himself behind the grind with someone. He hoped that Kíli hadn’t gotten himself into trouble. Kíli was outgoing, and able find connections with people that most would never be able to accomplish. Fíli could only hope that it hadn’t let him into trouble. He glanced at his brother out of the corner of his eye. Kíli’s eyes were sparkling as he tipped his trumpet into the air and played.

Maybe it was nothing.

  
  
  


It was later that night. The band was packing up, which left Bilbo and Fíli waiting in the wings, as they had no instruments to pack.

‘I need to talk to you.’ Bilbo said, grabbing Fíli’s sleeve.

Fíli frowned. Bilbo was a good band leader, but he rarely had much to say to Fíli. ‘Something wrong?’

‘No. We’ve got a special request for Valentine’s day though.’

‘That’s tomorrow night.’

‘Yeah, and some kind of dipstick with a lot of extra dough rollin’ around wants to book an instrumental night.’

Fíli stared, trying not to take it personally. He knew he was a talented vocalist. Music was subjective. He would never be able to please everyone. But for someone to dislike him enough that they would specifically book the band without him? Fíli had to admit it stung a little.

‘You’ll even get payed and everything.’ Bilbo continued. ‘It’s the dumbest contract I’ve ever seen.’

‘I don’t understand’

‘I don’t either, but he’s paying well enough that it’s probably best we don’t ask questions. Your job is to show up, sit in the front row and look pretty.’

‘What?’

Bilbo shrugged, ‘The amount we’re getting for it, I wasn’t going to ask questions.’

‘I’m not allowed to sing, and I have to be here anyway?’

‘That’s the gist of it.’

Fíli shook his head in disbelief. ‘Okay.’

Bilbo clapped him on the shoulder. ‘That’s what I like to hear.’

  
  
  
  


It was later that night when they’d finally gotten home to the matchbox-sized apartment that they shared that Fíli finally brought up the bizarre request that he’d gotten.

Kíli frowned and nodded in all the right places, but Fíli couldn’t shake the thought that his brother was distracted, preoccupied with something.

‘Kíli?’

‘Hm?’

‘You still with me?’

‘Of course!’

‘You wanna go out tonight?’

Kíli shot him an unimpressed look ‘Because there are so many places open at three in the morning in this neighbourhood.’

‘We could go somewhere. We haven’t gone out in ages.’

Kíli stepped forward into his space, sliding his hands into Fíli’s greased back hair. ‘Maybe that’s just because I like staying in so much more.’

Fíli let himself be distracted by Kíli’s mouth, hot and urgent against his own. Kíli kissed like no one else. Fíli thought maybe it was from all of the hours that Kíli spent with his trumpet, training his mouth to hold tension. He would pull Fíli in and hold him there, smooth strength and clever licks of his tongue, and it never took long for hands to follow and clothes to end up on the floor.

  
  


 

The next night, Fíli got there early, as usual, only this time he wasn’t in the corner of the back room singing scales. He was dressed in his nicest suit, seated at the table that was at was as close to the band as it could be, but tucked away to the corner closest to the brass section. It had been reserved for him and set with only a single chair.

Fíli had no idea what was going on.

The entire night he was served by the red-headed waitress Tauriel that had just come to Erebor. He knew that she was friends with Kíli, but he’d never truly gotten a chance to speak with her.

The band had been playing for nearly an hour, and Fíli knew it was about time for them to take their first break for the evening. He wasn’t expecting Bilbo to take the stage. ‘Before we take our break, we have a special request.’ He unfolded a piece of paper from his pocket. ‘Dedicated to the Golden Lion.’

Fíli’s mouth dropped open. Only one person ever called him that. He watched in shock as Kíli moved through the band and walked to the center of the stage, no music stand, just his trumpet and his mute. He didn’t notice when a small flute of champagne was placed near his elbow.

It was like nothing Fíli had ever heard from his brother, and he knew what it was.

It was everything. Their love, the hardship. The mourning when they had lost so much, and the banks had crashed, and Erebor had fallen from the grand line of hotels that had been built up and maintained by their family. It had taken everything they had to save even the little one story building. It had been Bofur as the charm behind the bar that drew people in, and Nori’s contacts that had kept them in rot-gut and bathtub gin and off the radar of the cops.

It was the triumph, when they had found their place in Thorin’s Company under Bilbo’s direction. The unspeakable relief from moving into their own place, where being together was as easy as breathing. A new place where their love could grow and shape itself into this glowing, endless thing between them.

Brothers, lovers. every facet soaked in love.

Fíli couldn’t take his eyes off Kíli, standing center stage with his eyes closed, somehow taming his trumpet to the softest of tones. The delicate mornings, where they hid together under their quilt, keeping each other warm because they had enough money for food and rent, but not nearly enough to turn on the heater. Fíli reached for the glass and brought it to his mouth, sipping at the sweet, bubbling wine. Something bumped against his teeth and he looked down at the glass in confusion.

There was a thin golden band resting in the bottom of the glass.

He looked up at his brother and understood.

Suddenly, Fíli’s entire existence boiled down to a single word:

 

_Yes._

 

 


	11. Fake Dating, Real Feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For the anonymous prompt 'Fiki with fake dating'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the anonymous prompt 'Fiki with fake dating'. It kind of turned into a bit of a Uni-AU as well. Hope you enjoy!
> 
>  
> 
> Un-beta'd, so if you catch anything, please let me know. Con/crit always welcome.
> 
>  
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Kíli stared at his hands, as the realization sunk into him. He had to do something. Anything.

Fíli was sitting across the table innocently eating his cafeteria spaghetti.

‘I need you to date me.’

Fíli kept eating, because sometimes the best thing to do was ignore Kíli when he was being unreasonably strange.

‘Fíli. Fi, c’mon, please. I need you to date me.’

Fíli set his fork down and looked closely at Kíli. ‘You do know we’re brothers, right?’

‘Yes, but that doesn’t matter, people think we’re dating all the time!’

‘No, Kíli, I really don’t think they do.’

Kíli snorted, ‘Please, you can’t be serious.’

Fíli frowned, absently twirling one braided end of his moustache around his finger. ‘Pretty sure I can be on this actually.’

Kíli gaped. ‘How? how could you possibly- no. You know what? Never mind. I’m telling you people will totally believe it, and it only has to be for one night, but I really, really need you to date me.’

‘You still haven’t told me why, Kíli.’

Kíli’s mouth twisted, and he looked at the ground. ‘Azog won’t leave me alone.’

Fíli frowned. ‘Kíli, I don’t-’

‘It will. He doesn’t believe me when I tell him I have a boyfriend.’

‘Maybe that’s because you don’t have a boyfriend.’

‘He doesn’t know that!’

‘Maybe he does, Kíli.’

‘He doesn’t know anything about me.’ Kíli spat, and Fíli was taken aback by Kíli’s sudden turn at darkness.

Fíli shoved a huge forkful of pasta in his mouth and chewed slowly, using the time to really take a look at his younger brother. Kíli looked tense and nervous. He was twitchy and only picking at his food.

‘And us dating will make him back off?’

Kíli looked like a drowning man who had just been thrown a rope. ‘Yes! He says all the time, he would never go after me if I had someone already.’

Fíli frowned, starting to feel increasingly worried about how often Azog was antagonizing his brother. ‘So us dating will get him to leave you alone.’

‘Yes!’ Kíli’s eyes were shining brightly with hope. Fíli shook his head. He could never say no to Kíli.

‘Alright.’ Fíli agreed, ‘But you have to be the one to tell Mom.’

When Kíli didn’t even protest, Fíli knew how serious the situation really was.

  
  
  
  


It wasn’t that Fíli didn’t wanted to date Kíli. It was that they had been circling dangerously to some kind of something, and Fíli was worried that this would be the thing that would cause one of them to falter in their dance. He wasn’t sure what would happen when they inevitably collided.

All Fíli knew was the longing that caught in his chest every time Kíli tipped his head back to laugh with his whole body. The way that he lived for the moments would Kíli would turn to him with a joke on his lips, eyes bright with the fire of life, and every time Fíli would fall a little bit more. It was how Fíli knew that even if his brother never felt the same, never felt the desire that burned for more, Fíli would never truly be able to move on.

It was how Fíli knew that he would do anything he could to help his brother out.

 

It took a few days before Kíli brought the subject up again. ‘We should go on a date.’

‘We should go on a date?’

‘Yeah.’ Kíli said. ‘So people will see us. It won’t look like a new thing when we go to the party this weekend.’

‘Because if it happened on Monday by the weekend it’s old news?’

Kíli huffed. ‘Shut up. You know what I mean.’

Fíli grinned, because he did. ‘Where did you want to go?’

‘Pizza?’

‘You just want pizza for dinner.’ Fíli said, mocking an accusing manner, ‘and here I thought you liked me!’

‘It’s a good first date!’ Kíli protested.

Fíli laughed. ‘Isn’t coffee usually the first date? Pizza waits until you’re willing to let someone see you with cheese strings all over your face?’

‘Well, I guess. But neither of us like coffee, and we both like pizza.’

‘We also wanted to go see to the movies this weekend. Pizza and a movie?’

Kíli’s grin was blinding. ‘Thank you!’

 

 

When Kíli reached for his hand in the pizza parlour and traced the bones of his knuckles, Fíli tried to remember it was all for show. When Kíli actually used his knife to cut a bite off the tip of his pizza and loaded it onto a fork so he could feed it to Fíli without ‘any pesky cheese strings’ getting caught in his goatee, Fíli tried to pretend that it wasn’t everything he’d ever wanted.

When Kíli reached over in the dark of the theater and tangled fingers together, despite their mutual state of popcorn-grease, Fíli tried to pretend to remind himself that Kíli was just getting used to it, so it would look natural when it mattered.

  
  


The weeks passed. Parties came and went. Kíli would grab his hand every Friday night and take them out. They’d gone for walks in the park, gone bowling. They’d been to clubs and pubs and they’d even suffered through a coffeeshop, both of them sipping the smallest cups of black coffee that were served at the place, and making faces until they’d finally just dumped the drinks out when they were cold.

They still went to the parties thrown by Kíli’s friends, and when Kíli would spot Azog, he would pull Fíli into the corner, and fit their mouths together.

Fíli thought maybe those were the moments that were the hardest. Now he knew what Kíli looked like, loose with rum and good company, hair tangled from a long night of dancing. The way Kíli tasted, slow and hazy from taking a few rounds on a joint being passed around. The way that Kíli felt, warm and solid beneath his palms. The way Kíli sounded, panting and breathless from kisses traded against the wall in over-crowded rooms.

The things that Fíli had always wanted and only had now because he had been too selfish to help Kíli think of a different line of defence.

 

Then came the day when Azog finally approached. He had walked over with a sneer twisting his features and pulled Fíli away. Azog had turned on Kíli spitting contradicting words of vitriol and desire.

Fíli had pushed him off, and punched without thinking. He’d never thought of himself as particularly given to violence, but it had been an automatic response. It didn’t matter if Azog was bigger or stronger. He had put Kíli through hell, and Fíli would stop him, no matter what the cost.

It had turned out not to be much of a fight. Fíli had taken a few good hits, ending up with a split lip and an eye that was already swelling closed, but Azog hadn’t been prepared for the ferocity bourne from Fíli’s small stature. Fili fought like he had nothing to lose, pressing every advantage and fighting dirty. It had taken less than a minute for Azog to be on the ground, howling in pain after Fíli had landed a well placed kick between the legs.

 

Needless to say, it did end the party early.

 

Kíli had pulled him out the door, and dragged him all the way back to the apartment without stopping. Kíli was growling the whole time about stupid, over-protective older brothers who didn’t know when to stop, and how probably no one would call the police, but they had to get the fuck out of there.

They finally reached the apartment, and Kili sat his brother down on the couch before heading to the freezer to grab and ice pack and a towel. He came back and pressed the ice to Fíli’s eye.

Fíli hissed at the cold, but leaned into the relief it offered.

‘I know something else that will make it feel better.’ Kíli said casually.

‘What?’ Fíli said, confused.

Kíli leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to the bloodied split on Fíli’s lip.

Fíli looked away. ‘You don’t have to do that anymore. I don’t think Azog will bother you again after tonight.’

‘What if I want to?’ Kíli asked, softly. ‘What if it was never really about Azog anyway?’

‘Kíli-’ Fíli didn’t know what to say. He wanted to explain that he never wanted anything that Kíli wanted to give, but he also wanted everything. That he would always love Kíli with everything that he was, but Kíli should never feel like he was obligated to give Fíli anything.

‘I did tell Mum.’ Kíli whispered, ‘But I didn’t tell her it was fake.’

Fíli pulled back in shock. ‘You what?’

‘I don’t want it to be fake, Fí. I want it to be real. I love you.’

Fíli pulled Kíli into his arms, focusing on the way it pulled on his sore muscles feeling like he had to hang on to something to make sure he was real, and he wasn’t going to float away on all of the his deepest wishes coming true. He pressed their foreheads together. ‘I love you too, Kí. I love you too.’


	12. The Best Gift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For Ceallaig who asked for 'Platonic, brotherly birthday with Fíli & Kíli'.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the absolutely fantastic Ceallaig who asked for 'Platonic, brotherly birthday with Fíli & Kíli'.
> 
>  
> 
> Un-beta'd. If you catch anything, please let me know! (Constructive criticism is always welcome!)

Fíli was walking through the hall, intent upon getting to the main cavern where he was due for a meeting with the Firebeards when he saw Kíli at the corridor. He jogged forward, knowing better than to call out in the long, echoing hallway. Kíli was just about to turn the corner when Fíli managed to reach out and catch him by the shoulder.

Kíli spun immediately, dropping his weight to be in more defensive position.

‘Well done, Watch Captain.’ Fíli said, with a wry smile. There was something about it that hurt, though; a brief, irrational flash that they had drifted apart to the point where Kíli could not automatically recognize his touch. It showed well on his training with the guards and it was clear that his placement with the watch was something he was incredibly suited for. He had taken to it well, and Fíli was truly happy that his brother had finally found his place in Erebor.

With Kíli’s new placement though, the brothers had found themselves on opposite schedules. Kíli rose with the night for the watch, spent his days in training or disappearing into the tunnels to learn spycraft. The duties that did call Kíli into the throne room were mostly diplomatic relations with the Elves. It was an arrangement that developed naturally, given Kíli’s innate curiosity and open-minded extroverted nature, not to mention Thorin’s deeply entrenched mistrust.

Fíli, being crown prince, had his own duties to attend to. His job was to learn the day-to-day working of Erebor; to manage guild disputes and the ever shifting face of advisors and courtiers. Kíli learned the ways of shadows and the starlight of Elves. Fíli learned the faces of Erebor. He spent days by Thorin’s side, learning the intricacies of court that could never truly be taught through books or stories and could only be understood through experience. Dis was the other half of the equation, softening Thorin’s need for security with her own brand of long-term planning. Fíli was learning to weigh the benefits of both and had become the mediator, often finding himself standing somewhere between the two. His level-headed practicality had made him particularly popular among Men, so it was Fíli who was now in charge of the treaties and trade with the Tall Folk.

It left Fíli in the position of needing to catch his brother in hallways for them to get a chance to speak to each other.

‘Do you have plans for dinner this evening, brother?’

Kíli’s face fell, and Fíli felt a wave of guilt wash over him. He knew that his brother was busy. They both did their best to spend time together whenever they could, but such time was precious and increasingly hard to come by.

‘Not tonight.’ Kíli said, and Fíli could hear the genuine regret in his voice, ‘I’ve a meeting-’

‘Of course.’ Fíli said, nodding.

Kíli frowned. ‘Tomorrow? For dinner, we could-’

Fíli shook his head. ‘I can’t tomorrow.’ He had to meet with a delegation of Stonefists. Fíli let out a heavy sigh, and tried to pretend that he didn’t see the way his brother seemed to wilt at the response.

‘We shall find time.’ Fíli said firmly.

‘Of course.’ Kíli responded, but his voice was dull and weary.

It was then that the flickers of a plan began to take hold in Fíli’s mind.

  


It took Fíli nearly four weeks to arrange everything. He spent what felt like every spare moment pulling strings, and cashing of favours. He even devised a few moves of extreme delegation, which, along with much groveling to Dis and Bilbo, allowed for Fíli to pull together the biggest surprise that he’d ever managed.

Fíli shared a Name-Day with his brother. Dis had called them ‘twins of the soul’, when they had been children, saying that her boys were separated by six years, and nothing else. Indeed, they had been born on the same day under the same moon. They had always held an understanding with each other, something that fit between the two of them that let them move without speaking, always knowing where the other would be. There was some extra beat between them that had let them move in synch together for as long as they both had been able to walk.

It was only now that their bond was faltering; and Fíli wasn’t willing to let it go without a fight.

Usually, Kíli was the one who came up with grand plans and celebrations. This year, however, Fíli knew exactly what they would be getting for their Name-Day.

 

They were getting a break.

 

Somehow, Fíli even managed to keep it a secret. When there was less than a fortnight left before their Name-Day, Kíli had stopped him. They had once again met in a corridor, meeting each other entirely due to chance crossing their paths.

‘Fíli, I haven’t heard any plans.’ Kíli had said, voice tight with worry. ‘Was I meant to-’

‘No!’ Fíli said quickly, realizing the cause of his brother’s distress. ‘No, I have everything taken care of.’

Kíli let out a sigh of relief and seemed to stand taller, as though he’d just set down a great weight. Any doubts that Fíli had ever had about his plans evaporated in that moment. They were both starting to buckle under the weight of this life. They had trained for it as much as they could, but it was simply so much more than either of them had ever imagined as children. Nothing could have ever prepared them for the duties that they would take on to keep Erebor running smoothly. Nothing could have ever prepared them for the slow slide as they lost track of each other amidst the duties of the royal line.

Kíli grasped Fíli’s shoulder, and tipped their heads together. ‘Thank you.’

Fíli knew then that he’d kept his secret for long enough. ‘There are no plans.’

Kíli straightened sharply. ‘What?’

‘You haven’t heard of any plans because there aren’t any.’

‘Fíli-’

‘I miss you.’

That made Kíli stop short. He frowned. ‘Fíli, what are you talking about?’

‘We have a week off.’

Kíli stared. ‘What?’

‘I thought we could go hunting.’

Kíli stared for a long moment until his disbelief melted into pure, unadulterated joy. He pulled Fíli into a hug. ‘The best gift, Fí.’  
  
  


They hadn’t even gotten out of the shadow of the mountain and they had already found their stride, the pace that let them walk all day and still have energy enough to make camp once they’d found a suitable place. It was like dusting off old gearworks. At first it may have creaked and groaned as it shifted, but the cogs were all still there and still turned as smoothly as ever once started.

It was beautiful to get away. There were no crowns or ceremonial robes. No worry of what clothing to wear or which jewelry to display to properly acknowledge the importance of gifts from trade partners. It was a week where they were able to shed the layers of propriety and royalty and responsibility. A week where they were Fíli and Kíli, brothers, hunters, together in the woods as they had not been since before the quest to reclaim Erebor so many decades ago.

It was a much needed breath for them both.

There was something about the simplicity of it, sleeping under the stars, spending the nights by the fire, cooking whatever they’d managed to catch that day. It was everything that they missed in the fine halls of Erebor. There was the simple, easy companionship between them that was too much a part of them both to ever truly go away, but it had gotten dulled with the stress of separate duties and time spent apart. Here they were in a place with no titles, nothing but the two of them.

Fíli lit the fire, Kíli laid out the bedrolls. They ate near the fire, savouring the smokey flavour that crept into the rations that they’d brought with them. It was joy and light and life, sharing stories that they both knew so well that the laughter began long before the punchline. It was warm nights and easy company, as the laughter bubbled away and companionable silence took hold. Fíli sharpened his knives and Kíli worked on fletching arrows; not that either of them had any call to. There was something soothing in it, the way that their fingers remembered their old works, before they had both been bound into their lives of royalty.

Usually, it would have been a week full of formal dinners and celebrations. This, however, was better than any party could have ever been. They had grown up with it being just the two of them, roaming the forests. This was gift to each other, and a gift to themselves. A week of peace where they didn’t have to Princes. Didn’t have to be representatives of the line of Durin. They could simply be brothers, as they had always been.

 


	13. Try for the Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For the anonymous prompt: 'Kili has always been different, and one day it's too much. Luckily, Fili is there to help.'
> 
> This fic does contain suicide ideation, planning of a suicide attempt, and characters dealing with mental illness. Please be aware and check the warnings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the anonymous prompt: 'Kili has always been different, and one day it's too much. Luckily, Fili is there to help.'
> 
> It probably got a lot more intense than nonny probably intended. Oops?
> 
> Warnings for this one for suicide ideation, (prevented) suicide attempt. Also, mention of some fraught family relations (that don't cast anyone, but particularly Thorin) in a very positive light.
> 
> Unbeta'd, if you catch anything, please let me know. Constructive criticism is always welcome!

It was a whim that brought Fíli to his brother’s apartment. 

He was at home, lazing on an afternoon off, when he realized that he hadn’t seen Kíli recently. When Fíli realized he had to actually think to recall the last time he’d spent time with his brother was the exact moment he realized it had clearly been too long.

It wasn’t a terribly long drive to the university campus where Kíli lived, an hour and a half if he managed to avoid traffic. He’d parked and walked up the stairs. He parked in his usual spot, just to the side of the stairs that took him up to his brother's place. He knocked and waited, but when Kíli didn’t answer, Fíli just used his key to let himself in. Kíli was probably in class. He’d just wait around and then kidnap his brother, maybe take him out for dinner. He paused and thought of his own days as a student, then revised his plan. He would take Kíli to the laundromat,  _ then _ to dinner.

He took his shoes off by the door, and walked to the kitchen. If Kíli had an empty fridge, he might take his brother shopping too. After examining the painful emptiness of Kíli’s cupboards, Fíli decided that a shopping was _definitely_ in order. He grabbed a glass of water, as it was the only option currently available in the house that he trusted to not give him some kind of food poisoning. 

It was only when he sat down at the table that he noticed; the table was covered with the usual things that Fíli would expect from his brother, books, star charts, rulers and and stacks of mathematical equations that Fíli knew he had no hope of understanding. The corner was cleared off though, leaving space for three things that filled Fíli with a sense of sick trepidation. A meticulously folded piece of paper, a fillet knife that Fíli knew from experience was wickedly sharp, and an orange bottle of pills.

He spent several minutes simply staring at the collection, before his worry won out over his any ideas of not disturbing Kíli’s things.

Dread filled Fíli’s veins like cement when he read the first lines.

‘I know you won’t understand, but it’s better this way…’ Written in Kíli’s spiky, thin handwriting.

Fíli didn’t read farther. He simply closed his eyes, and thanked every ancestor who's name he knew that he had show up at Kíli’s house when he had. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been sitting there, when the door to the apartment opened, and Kíli stepped inside.

Kíli saw Fíli seated at the table and knew that his brother had found the letter he’d written. Fíli knew what he had planned to do.

The air between them was thrumming with tension, emotion, but neither of them knew what to say.

Kíli toed his shoes off and set his bag down by the door like he always did. ‘Did you read it then.’

‘Kíli…’

Kíli walked over and leaned at the wall, looking straight ahead. ‘I know I didn’t do a very good job of explaining.’

‘I didn’t read it all.’ Fíli said. ‘Kíli, I don’t care what’s in the letter, talk to me.’

‘About what?’ Kíli’s voice was flat in a way that Fíli had never heard before, and Fíli was terrified.

‘I know you. Something like this doesn’t come from nowhere. Talk to me, please.’

‘I can’t stop shaking.’  Kíli said, and the edges of his lips were tugging up in some horrifying parody of a smile. ‘I’m always cold now.’ He looked at his hands. ‘I want to die.’

Fíli stood up from the table slowly, his mind awash with horror. He didn’t understand, didn’t know how he could have missed it for so long.

‘It’ll be okay.’ Kíli said, looking up, ‘I’m never around anyway. It won’t even make that much of a difference.’

‘Oh Mahal, Kíli,  _ no _ !’ Fíli said, reaching forward and grabbing his brother’s hands. ‘Fuck! Of course it will make a difference!’

Kíli looked up, but Fíli had the feeling that he wasn’t seeing what was in front of him, that his brother was looking towards something else, something intangible. ‘But it’ll still be okay.’

‘Kíli, Kíli, no-’

‘It’s not anybody’s fault, Fí.’ Kíli said, finally meeting Fíli’s eyes. His voice was kind, and Fíli felt sick. ‘I’m just tired.’

‘Kíli, please, let me help.’

‘How? By putting your life on hold? You can’t help the fact that I’m too pathetic to do this by myself. It’s okay, Fíli, really.’

‘No, you’re not pathetic, you’re not-’

‘Everyone else can do it.’ Kíli said, and there was something dull and weary in his voice. ‘Everyone else can make it work. I can’t. I don’t - I don’t know how.’ There was that smile again, the one that was empty and meant anything but happiness. ‘It can’t be that surprising. I never fit in anyway.’

Fíli’s mind flashed back to all the times when they had been children, when Kíli had been too tall, too skinny. All the nights when Thorin had stayed up late talking to Dis, worrying over the way that Kíli never seemed to know when to push or when to pull back. But it hadn’t been all the time, there was so much more to it than those moments.

‘Kíli-’

‘How long do I keep hoping I’m going to find something, Fí? How long do I keep pretending that there’s something more than this?’

‘No, there  _ is _ , Kíli-’

‘I think I used to believe that.’ Kíli said, ‘I don’t think I can anymore.’ He sniffed, and Fíli noticed that his eyes were growing wet. ‘What am I supposed to do, wait until I can somehow learn to be normal?’

‘There’s no such thing as  _ ‘normal’ _ , nobody is ‘normal’!’

‘You know, I get that that’s a good line and all, but there really is. There really is some  _ thing _ that everyone else seems to have that I don’t.’

‘There really isn’t, Kíli…’

‘Then how come no one else is like this!’ Kíli shouted, finally showing something other than the horrifying calm from before. ‘If everyone else is like this, then why don’t I  _ fit _ anywhere?’ Kíli sniffed again and blinked, and this time tears fell. ‘I can’t do this anymore Fi. I’m just so tired.’

Fíli stared, he had no idea what to say, watching his brother fall to pieces in front of him.

‘I’m just so tired.’

‘No, Kíli, I know that it’s hard right now, but it will get better. You have so much to live for!’

Kíli looked up, blank. ‘Do I, though?’

‘Of course you do!’

‘I don’t want anything.’

‘What?’

‘I used to want things. I used to, I don’t know. I used to think that I could have things.’

‘Kíli, you still can-’

‘It doesn’t matter anymore, though.’

‘What are you talking about?’

‘I don’t want anything anymore, Fí. I don’t want anything. There’s nothing left. Not even little things. They’re all gone.’

‘Kíli…’ Fíli said, slowly. He didn’t know what to say, didn’t know what he could possibly do. Never in his wildest nightmares had he ever imagined Kíli looking like this. Kíli who was always so full of vibrancy and life; who was now staring at the world and seeing nothing in it. ‘What about the stars!’ He said suddenly, ‘You used to say that you wanted to learn all of them, that you wanted to know every single constellation.’

‘I don’t feel anything anymore, Fíli.’

‘Just give yourself time, let me help-’

‘I don’t - Fíli, I love you, but I don’t understand why you’re so upset.’

‘You don’t understand why I’m upset.’ Fíli said, and anger flared through him. ‘What the fuck is that supposed to mean, Kíli, that you don’t think I’ll care that you’re gone?’

Kíli blinked, confused at the sudden change in his brother’s disposition. ‘Yes..?’

‘What the fuck Kíli! Of course I’ll fucking care!’

‘But it won’t matter!’ Kíli protested. ‘Not really!’

‘How can you possibly say that?’

‘There’s nothing that I can do for you that someone else can’t do.’

‘What?’

‘It’s not like you need me around. There’s nothing that I can do for you that other people can’t.’

‘It’s not about that!’

‘Then tell me what it’s about, because clearly I don’t get it!’

‘Fuck, Kíli, it’s about you!’

‘What is?’

‘Nobody else can be you, Kíli!’ Fíli finally shouted, and silence rang out.

‘Well maybe I can’t be Kíli either.’

‘Shit, Kí…’

‘I can’t do this, Fíli.’

‘Yes you can, just let me help. I promise, I promise we’ll get through this.’

‘Help with what?’

‘Anything, Kíli, anything. Just tell me what you need.’

Kíli stared at the wall for long moments, considering. ‘I want to go home.’

‘Kíli, you can do that, you could always do that-’

Kíli laughed, and Fíli flinched back from the sound. Dark, bitter and despondent, it was like nothing he had ever heard from his brother before.

‘I can’t go back there.’ Kíli said, with a derisive laugh.

‘Kíli, of course you can.’

‘What good would it possibly do anyone?’

‘What?’

‘What good would it possibly do anyone, for me to go back there?’

‘I thought you said you wanted-’

‘I want to go _home_ , Fíli. Not back to the place we grew up.’

Fíli stared. ‘I don’t understand.’

‘Fíli, that place could never be home for me.’

‘Kíli-’

‘Fuck, Fíli, of course I can’t go back there. Can you even imagine? The look on Thorin’s face. He’d try to be so helpful, too.’ Kíli’s words turned to acid, ‘Maybe suggest that Dwalin teach me how to be a proper dwarf.’

A shadow passed over Fíli’s heart when he realized just how long his brother had been nursing his pain. It had always been easy to see that the relationship between Thorin and Kíli was far from easy, with fights often flaring up between the two of them. Sometimes it was shouting matches that echoed through the hallways, but sometimes it was quieter. Sometimes, it was Kíli’s poorly-timed sense of humour being cut down by Thorin’s curt words. Dis did her best to run interference, but there was only so much that she could do to ease the way between her brother and her son.

‘Thorin loves you, Kíli.’

‘He loves the idea of me, Fíli. He doesn’t even like me.’

‘That’s not true, he’d do anything for you!’

‘He’d do anything for anyone who held the title of sister-son. This isn’t about that.’

‘Then what is it about?’

‘He can love me all he wants, it doesn’t matter, because he doesn’t  _ lik _ e me!’

‘Kíli, of course he does.’

‘He doesn’t even know me. He doesn’t want to.’

‘Of course he does!’

‘No, Fíli, it doesn’t matter, okay? He can love me all he likes, but he doesn’t like anything that I do, or anything that I say or anything that I stand for or believe in, alright?’

‘No, how did you-’

‘How many nights am I supposed to sit there and listen to him without figuring that out, Fíli? How long do I set there and listen to him talk about, about the elves spending too much time staring at the stars and not enough time paying attention to what’s under their feet. You’ve heard him talk about dwarves who run of with men. What do you think he would have done if he had found out I was dating Tauriel? He can love me all he likes, Fíli. It doesn’t mean I can live there.’

‘Our mother loves you!’

Kíli looked away. ‘I don’t want to talk about it.’

‘Kíli, what? What is there to talk about? She’s our mother! I know that you and Thorin have never gotten along, but you love her!’

‘Yes, I love her! It would just be really nice if she loved me back.’

Fíli’s jaw dropped. ‘Kíli. Kíli, she loves you more than anything.’

Kíli’s jaw was tight and his eyes were met, but he turned back around to face his brother. ‘No, Fí.’

‘Mahal, yes, Kíli, she would die for you! She would do  _ anything _ for you!’

‘Clearly she wouldn’t.’

‘What is that supposed to mean?’

‘If she was willing to do anything, than how come I never got to be safe!’ Kíli choked on the words even as he was trying to shout, tears finally starting to run down his face. ‘That’s all I’ve ever wanted Fí. I just want to be safe.’ He was shrinking in on himself, crumpling and curling in like a thin piece of grass that had been tossed into the fire.

‘Kíli…’

‘I’m so tired Fíli.’ Kíli’s voice was soft and pleading. ‘I just want to be done fighting.’

‘And our mother can’t keep you safe?’

‘We  _ lived _ with Thorin, Fíli! What was I supposed to do?’

‘What?’

‘He lives there too! If she loved me more than anything, than why wouldn’t she  _ fight _ for me?’

‘Oh.’ Fíli said, suddenly realizing what his brother was talking about. He hadn’t realized how stifled Kíli had felt. He hadn’t known that Kíli was so uncomfortable in their home that he didn’t feel like he could return when he needed support.

‘I know I’m not okay, Fíli, but I can’t - I don’t have anywhere else to go. I just, I need everything to stop for a little while so I can pick the pieces up, but it doesn’t. I do understand that. I get it, that the world doesn’t stop just because I want it to. That nobody else-’

‘Hey, no.’ Fíli said, stepping forward to put his hands on Kíli’s shoulders. ‘This isn’t about anybody else. This is about you.’

‘Yes, clearly, because other people-’

‘Other people don’t matter right now, no, Kíli, please. Listen to me. I’m sorry I didn’t realize it was that bad with Thorin. I know he means well, but I also know that doesn’t really mean much right now.’

‘Fíli-’

‘No, look. Come with me, okay? Please. Come stay with me, just for a little while, alright? Just until you get your feet back under you.’

Kíli looked down. ‘Fíli, _no_. You’ve got your own life. I can’t just move in like some parasite. You have your own shit to deal with.’

‘Kíli- 

‘It shouldn’t be your job to take care of me when I’m all fucked up like this.’

‘Kíli, it isn’t a  _ job _ .’ Fíli insisted. ‘I love you. If this is anything, it’s selfish, because I need you.’ Fíli sparked, picking up Kíli’s earlier line of arguing ‘You think I wouldn’t miss you. Let me show you. Let me show you how much I need you.’

‘Fíli, I-’

‘Let me show you. Please, just give me a chance.’

Kíli finally looked up. His dark eyes were bloodshot, light reflected of the wet tracks down his face. ‘Fíli…’

‘Let me try.’ Fíli said, and determination flowed through him, seeping into his voice. 

It was the same steady warmth that Kíli had trusted his entire life. It was the voice that had talked him through nightmares and skinned knees; schoolwork and dating. It was the same hand that had helped him up his entire life, and Kíli didn’t have the strength to refuse it now.

‘Let me try.’ Fíli repeated gently, and Kíli fell. He crumpled forward into Fíli’s arms, sobbing softly into the fabric of Fíli’s shirt.

Fíli pulled him close, and he ran a hand through Kíli’s dark hair. ‘We’ll figure it out, Kíli. It’ll be okay. We’ll get there, I promise.’ Fíli couldn’t fight the burn of tears in his own eyes; the torrents of emotion that suddenly caught up to him. The fear, the worry of what had almost happened, exultant gratitude that he’d come when he had, the love he had for his brother, the heartache and seeing Kíli in so much pain. He wouldn’t let go though, whatever it took. 

‘We’ll be okay, Kíli. We’ll be okay.’


	14. Time for Planting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final fiki- Birthday one shot!
> 
> for the anonymous prompt: less-than-gen Fiki X-men AU

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for the anonymous prompt: less-than-gen Fiki X-men AU
> 
> \- It turned out to be a lot more comic-centric than I originally intended, so there's a lot of reference to the (comic) Civil War event, and some M-Day stuff. So. Civil War, people probably know a bit about from stuff, and M-day was a thing where a lot of mutants (about 90%) lost their powers.
> 
> Uh. I think that's probably all the stuff you need to know?
> 
> Un-beta'd, so if you catch anything, please let me know! Constructive Criticism always welcome!

Fili woke to the feeling of gentle fingers tracing along the side of his face.

‘Good morning.’ Kili whispered.

‘Hmmm.’ Fili said, still mostly asleep. ‘Is it.’

‘Yes.’ Kili said simply, but Fili could hear the smile in his voice.

It was late morning, and their room was warm and filled with golden light. Fili moved to get up, but was stopped, when Kili pushed him back to the bed with a hand on his chest.

‘No, wait.’ Kili said.

‘What?’

‘Your friends came again last night.’

Fili groaned and brought his hand up to his hair. Kili was right, his hair was woven with the reaching tendrils of creeping vines. Fili whined in discontent as he got started trying to convince the plants to leave his hair.

‘They just love you.’ Kili said with a laugh.

‘I love them back, but I love them more when they’re  _ outside _ , like I  _ told them to be _ .’ Fili closed his eyes and thought very hard at the plants, and asked them to quite kindly leave his hair. Most of them complied, albeit with reluctance. When all of the plants were out of his hair, and only a the boldest few were curling around his fingers, Fili knew it was as good as it would get for the time being.

‘What’s today, Ki?’

Kili leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to Fili’s lips. ‘Good. Today is good.’

Fili laughed, ‘You got anything more than that?’

‘Looking spoils the surprise, Fi! You know that!’ 

Fili laughed. ‘Yeah, alright. Don’t look then.’

‘I will if you want.’

‘Nah. We’ll get there.’

Kili smiled and nodded.

Fili shook the final vine off his hand, and shooed the plant back out the window where it had come in.

Kili laughed. ‘We could go to shopping today, The weekend market is on. Get you so new friends?’

Fili sighed a bit wistfully. The last time he had gone to the markets he’d been talking to a woman about propagation and she’d mentioned having her own [Parrot’s Beak](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clianthus), not to mention [Campion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silene_tomentosa). They were expensive though, and as much as he wanted them, he had other projects to be focusing on. ‘I’m still not having luck with that [Ghost Orchid](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epipogium_aphyllum) that you got me.’

‘Ahh.’ Kili. ‘Still not taking to your fungus?’

‘It doesn’t make any sense! I asked what it wanted, and it still won’t grow!’

‘[Feed me Seymour](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ea5jKFGgUw)!’ Kili said, pitching his voice low to imitate the man-eating plant from Little Shop of Horrors.

‘Just for that, the next project is going to be corpse flowers.’

‘It is not!’

‘Do you know that without checking?’

‘Yes I do, because I would leave you if you ever made our house smell like that.’

‘Would not.’ Fili said, grinning.

‘Would so, Fili, don’t even try.’

Fili leaned up and kissed Kili before pulling himself up and out of the bed. ‘You say that now.’

‘I’ll say that forever.’

Fili stuck his tongue out, then grabbed his phone off the top of his dresser to check the time. A cold shock went through him when he realized the date ‘Fuck, Ki!’

‘What?’

‘You said today would be good!’

Kili set his jaw but refused to make eye contact. ‘It will be.’

‘Ki. Kili. Are you sure.’ Fili pushed, walking back over to the bed.

‘Fili, I-’

‘It’s the anniversary of-’

‘I know that Fili.’ Kili’s voice was clipped and cold. 

‘Fuck - I mean. Of course you do.’

 

It had been three years. Three years since the Super-Human Registration Act had finally ended, after all the damage that had been caused. All the lives destroyed. The children who had been trapped in the Negative Zone who had come back changed in ways that no one had any way to comprehend. The battle that had technically ended, but still ran high on the streets. 

It had been so worse for Kili. Kili, who could see the future, sometimes whether he wanted to or not. Kili was good at staying in the present, most of the time. Fili was his anchor-point though, and they both knew it. If Fili wasn’t around, then Kili would go looking for him, getting lost in time streams and possible futures until Fili would pull him out.

It hadn’t been easy for either of them. They had been lucky enough to escape M-Day intact, but the looming future had let Kili to strange moments of recklessness. He’d been working on forging alliances years before anyone else had even realized that trouble was brewing. Kili had kept them moving, spent years living in time ahead, with only Fili to guide them through the present. 

M-Day had stripped their parents of their parents, most of their friends. Their Uncle Thorin had been particularly struck by the loss. Fili and Kili had dropped out of contact, working as best they could to protect everyone through politics and alliances. They’d managed to save some of their friends. Thorin had died in final battle, mere minutes before Steve Rogers had surrendered.

They’d done their best.

They lived in a ground-floor apartment in the suburbs of San Francisco that Kili paid for by playing the stock markets, and the occasional day at the races. Fili worked at the San Francisco Botanical Garden, where he worked on building the seedbank, and propagating endangered plants.

It had taken years to get there. They had both managed to avoid the lists, but only because of Kili’s ability. Fili’s was easy enough to hide, so long as no one looked to closely at the plants that grew in their home. 

 

Kili reached up and pulled Fili onto the bed, breaking him out of his dark thoughts. ‘I said it would be a good day.’

‘You said you didn’t check.’

‘Do you want to prove me wrong?’

Fili sighed, and relaxed into his brother’s arms. ‘No.’ 

‘Good.’ Kili said before leaning in and kissing Fili thoroughly. ‘You know the best way to start a good day?’

‘What would that be?’

‘Coming back to bed.’ Kili said, smugly, pushing Fili back into the mattress. Fili flopped back and grinned brilliantly.

It was true that they had been through difficult years, but Kili was right. If there was one lesson that they both had learned through their struggles, it was to live in the present.  
Fili tangled his hands in Kili’s long, wild brown hair, and set himself to the most pleasurable task of ‘living in the moment.’

**Author's Note:**

> As always, if you want to read the things that don't make it to A03 (and all the other ramblings that show up), [come say hi](http://taupefox59.tumblr.com/) on tumblr!


End file.
